The Outsider
by Nomad36
Summary: When a young coyote moves into his new home in Elmore, he'll make new friends along the way and run into wild antics in the crazy town he will learn to call home.
1. Chapter 1: The Calamity- Part One

**Hello, my name is Nomad36 or just Nomad. This is technically my first fanfic, I hope you guys and gals like it! This story is about a young coyote named Jake Wiley. Jake being a small town kid will have to adapt to and overcome many challenges on his way to adjust to his new life in Elmore.**

 **I would like to thank my beta reader for pointing out the errors in my rough draft of the first chapter. I'd also like to thank NeoNimbus for convincing me to write my own story.**

 **By the way, I take constructive criticism, opinions, and suggestions. If you have anything you like or dislike about the story PLEASE let me know, I want to be the best writer possible for your enjoyment.**

 **Disclaimer: This story is merely for** fan **entertainment, I don't own the AWOG or the characters in my story besides my created OCs and the story itself...**

 **Anyways here is chapter 1.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 1: The Calamity- Part One

The irritating buzz of the alarm clock woke Jake Wiley with a start. The young, brown furred coyote stretched lazily, yawning loudly. He had a slightly unkempt appearance, his fur sticking up to give it a spiked appearance. As his arm floundered around to silence his alarm clock, he couldn't help but think about today, his first day of school. A mixture of fear and excitement filled him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The first thing he saw was the face of his mother, Brooke, glaring at him. Jake yelped in fear, tumbling out of his bed onto the hardwood floor. The jarring experience woke him up in an instant.

"Could you at least knock, mom?" Jake asked, scrambling back to his feet. He didn't want to get on his mother's bad side this early in the morning.

"Sorry, but you were supposed to wake up ten minutes ago!" exclaimed the older gray wolf, slightly exasperated. "And could you comb your hair for once?" Brooke, unlike her son, was well dressed in a short skirt and blue blouse, ready to go to work. Her green eyes scanned Jake, expecting him to answer.

"Summer never lasts," muttered Jake, sullenly. "Okay, could you please leave my room so I can get dressed?"

"Well hurry up, you have to get to school. Don't you want to make a good first impression on your classmates?"

Brooke closed the door and Jake shook his head, "Classmates, this is going to be a long day."

Jake hurriedly pulled off his pajamas. He decided on a white Henley shirt and automatically rolled up his sleeves. He put his blue bandana around his neck and pulled on his faded jeans and then left his cluttered bedroom. He casually slid down the banister and caught the sweet aroma of maple syrup emanating from the kitchen.

"Mmm..." said Jake dreamily as he walked into the kitchen. His father, Glenn, was sipping on black coffee while reading the newspaper. "Morning dad."

Glenn looked similar to his son and was marginally better dressed than his son. He was also dressed for work, wearing a white and red striped polo, and a pair of dark blue jeans. His hair was combed so it was more orderly than Jake's but had the same spiked appearance.

"Morning Jake, how are you feeling?" the older coyote smirked.

"Sleepy," Jake said, grabbing his plate and loading it with several waffles. He then proceeded to pour an excessive amount of maple syrup over it. Jake then began to eat, the waffles heavy with syrup.

"Jake, I thought I told you to comb your hair," Brooke said, scolding him, upon entering the room.

Jake shrugged. "Don't bother mom, my hair has a mind of its own."

"You can't go to school looking sloppy!" said Brooke, shaking her head. She attempted to put a comb through Jake's hair as he finished his waffles.

"Grrr..." growled Brooke as Glenn looked on, entertained. "Does it ever lie flat?"

"After twelve years I would think you would have the answer by now," said Jake dryly as his mom continued in vain to get his hair to lie down flat.

"Cheer up sport, it's your first day of school," said Glenn, smiling warmly. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Yeah, from what I hear Elmore Junior High is crazy, but then again, I don't feel like wearing a school uniform." Jake winced as several hairs were torn from his head as his mother renewed her assault on the unkempt fur. "Watch it, mom."

"Just be yourself, you'll do fine," Brooke sighed, giving up on trying to flatten Jake's hair.

"Don't forget to be well behaved; you want to make a lasting impression on your teachers," said Glenn, getting up from the table and ruffling his son's fur. He grabbed the coffee pot to pour his wife some coffee.

"Why couldn't we stay in Winslow?" said Jake, hoping to avoid the subject of school, which he was still skeptical about. "I mean, it was a nice climate."

"You and your father may have considered it nice, but it's too arid. Besides, there's a reason why we moved here."

"What is it, mom?" said Jake curiously, leaning forward in his chair, wondering for what motivation that had caused them to Elmore of all places.

"Nothing, besides you, have to get to school and we have to go to work," said Brooke, grabbing her things and signaling Glenn to follow.

"Okay," Jake sighed. He wished he could spend more time with his family, but his mom was quite distant nowadays, besides telling him to get up in the morning. Jake loved his family, but there were many matters that his parents talked about in private about rather than including Jake.

Jake slung his backpack over his shoulder, not bothering to unbuckle it. It felt weird to Jake to put on his worn out backpack again. Jake scanned the new house, which hardly had a homely feel to it. As far as it concerned Jake, Winslow was his only home, not this weird place.

The coyote opened the front door and stepped off the porch and onto the concrete path. The morning dew seemed to stick annoyingly to his fur as the cool fall air greeted him. The sun's dazzling brilliance almost blinded him as he shielded his eyes.

"Ah... First day of school, it can't be that bad," he said, swinging off the porch gleefully, yet the suspense still gnawed at him.

As Jake walked to the bus stop, he shivered uncomfortably as the cold fall air rustled through his fur. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and it felt raw with the cold constantly nipping at it. Jake always had always disliked the cold. He had been raised in a desert town, so he was used to warm air ruffling his fur and getting sand blown at him.

Jake rubbed his arms as he exhaled. He sighed to see the fog his breath created. "Wonderful weather we're having," he muttered, starting to shiver, his teeth chattering. "Yeah, a jacket would be nice right about now!"

The bus finally arrived and skidded to a halt. Jake could smell gasoline, causing him to gag with disgust. He straightened his backpack nervously and boarded the bus.

"Hey little dude, ready for your first day?" asked the bus driver cheerily, who appeared to be an orange puppet of some sorts.

"Uhh... I guess," said Jake, uncertain how to answer him. The bus almost fell completely silent as the other students noticed the new kid on the bus. As Jake walked down the aisle, most of the kids whispered about him, probably speculating about him with images that were totally wrong.

"Watch out!" snarled a t-rex, before sticking its gigantic foot into the aisle. Jake, hardly having a second to react, naturally tripped over it.

The coyote stumbled, landing face first and spilling the contents of his backpack all over the floor. A few people on the bus burst into uncontrolled laughter. Jake sprung up, trying to recover the various contents strewn over the floor and shove them into his backpack. He was already embarrassed beyond all belief and the school day hadn't even started yet.

A few kids covered their seats with backpacks, not wanting to sit with the new kid. They were already judging him as a klutz. Jake eventually slipped into a seat near the back, hoping to remain anonymous as the bus sped off from his house. The coyote pressed his head against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes. "It's going to fine Jake, it's only your first day," he reassured himself.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked a voice from the seat in front of him. Jake reluctantly lifted his head to see two kids about his age. One was a cat of some sorts, whose fur was a peculiar shade of bright blue. The other looked like a goldfish. Jake shook his head. 'A walking goldfish?'

"Hi there, what's your name?" asked the goldfish, staring down at him curiously.

"It's Jake Wiley, but just call me Jake," answered Jake. "And you are?"

"Gumball Watterson and this is my brother Darwin," answered the blue feline.

"It's nice to meet you, Gumball and Darwin," said Jake, nodding to them before plopping a book open on his lap.

"You must be new here! What do you know about Elmore?" asked Darwin, intrigued by the small coyote.

"Not as much as I'd like," said Jake, already intently focused on the book.

"You're not one for conversation are you?" asked Gumball, trying to peer at the contents of the book. "Hello? Jake?"

Jake remained silent as he scanned the pages of the book, uninterested in conversation. Gumball and Darwin eyed each other as Jake remained silent. Darwin just shrugged. "Maybe he just doesn't want to talk. He is new, so maybe we should give him time to open up."

"Nonsense Darwin, he just doesn't have the nerve to talk! We have to help him open up and expand his horizons," answered Gumball, enthusiastically.

With that, Gumball turned his attention back to Jake. "Jake, think fast!"

The blue feline dived down and snatched the book from Jake's lap. The bewildered coyote sprung up from his seat and tried to retrieve it from the feline's paws. "Hey, give that back!"

"Do we have your attention?" asked Gumball, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as Jake struggled to reach his book. "We want to get to know you better, but we can't do that if your nose is stuck in this book! And, seriously, you're lugging this around with you on your first day? Lighten up dude!"

"You've had my attention, I'm just a bit nervous is all," said Jake, fidgeting in his seat. "Alright, ask as many questions as you want. I don't mind."

"I've never seen clothes like that. What do you expect; a sandstorm?" asked Gumball, scanning Jake's outfit critically.

"I did live in Arizona, so cut me some slack," said Jake, defensively. "I am a coyote, after all. What were you expecting a leather-clad road warrior?"

Gumball gave Jake a funny look. "A what?"

"A coyote, a desert animal. Not familiar with my species?" asked Jake, as Gumball helplessly shrugged.

"Not in the slightest," answered Gumball as he turned to Darwin.

"I can't imagine how dry that would be. Did you have a swimming pool so you could swim and it would be all so refreshing?" asked Darwin.

"I've never been big on swimming," said Jake staring at his feet, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, you sure you don't want to join the Swimming Club? We're always looking for new members," said Darwin, hoping to change Jake's perspective.

"Nah, I'm good," said Jake, shaking his head as he caught a glimpse of several houses as the bus turned sharp around a corner.

The shifting of the bus caused both Gumball and Darwin to move from side to side unsteadily. "You ready for the first day of school?"

"Hardly," answered Jake as he caught a glimpse of the school he would be attending: Elmore Junior High was more eye catching and larger than his old school. There were students conversing on the steps of the school, no doubt talking about their unique and fun summer experiences.

"Don't worry you'll fit into a town like Elmore perfectly fine, Jake," said Darwin in his usual cheery demeanor.

"I guess we'll find out," said Jake, grimacing as the rickety bus came to the entrance and the students started getting off.

Immediately after stepping off the bus, Jake had a queasy feeling in his stomach. The feeling only intensified as he drew closer to the solid brick school. 'Okay, first day. This shouldn't be that bad. I bet the teachers here are very nice and down to earth. The food's probably quite appetizing and it'll be a great learning environment overall,' Jake thought to himself as he squeezed his small frame through the shutting doors.

* * *

The coyote scanned for where Gumball and Darwin might have gone but didn't catch sight of them. "Where could they be? I really need their help to know where I'm supposed to go." Jake was reluctantly impressed with Elmore Junior High. Its diverse hustling and bustling environment was a welcome change from the small middle school in Winslow. However, Jake's awe of his new school was cut short.

"Hey, check out pint-size over there!"

Before Jake knew what was happening he was upside down and being shaken violently. "Can I help you with something?" asked Jake, still hanging upside down. The brutish mass released him at this and Jake hit the floor like a brick.

Jake recovered slowly, gradually dusting himself off as he grabbed his backpack off the floor, which had managed to fall off of him in the commotion. "Nice warm welcome to Elmore Junior High. Time to meet the bullies, I guess." This comment got dirty looks from a weird hybrid and the t-rex he had seen earlier, and a piece of toast, who tried imitate this expression and failed miserably at it.

"Forget it, the new kid doesn't care," said the hybrid of what looked like a lion and perhaps an ox.

"Well, maybe should fill him in on how this works," snarled the t-rex. "He looks a little confused."

The breath of the t-rex was horrid, to say the least. Jake staggered backward at the foul smell which forced him to wrinkle his nose. "Eugh, that is nasty," Jake muttered to himself.

The hybrid was the first to speak at this. "Look walking carpet, just to let you know, we dislike new kids. Especially weird looking ones such as yourself. The best way to keep us off your back is to hand over your lunch money. Also, don't forget we're in charge, dweeb! Maybe you need a knuckle sandwich?!"

Jake simply rolled his eyes at this. "How long do you actually expect me to follow this deal? And if you think I'm weird- have you ever seen your reflection in a mirror?"

In response to this, the hybrid headbutted the coyote, sending him to the ground. Pain exploded in his skull as his vision went fuzzy, and to make matters worse he couldn't stop his head from bashing into the floor as well. "Now I'm beginning to understand why my dad always says silence is golden," said Jake, still disoriented from the hit and sitting up feeling like his head was spinning off its socket.

"I think you've made your point, Jamie," said the t-rex, as Jamie turned away from the coyote who was hardly fairing well on his first day.

Jake clambered up from the floor, struggling to maintain his balance. "Note to self, watch out for the bullies." Jake looked around, trying to get his bearings. "Now, I have to go to Miss Simian's room. Wherever that is."

To answer Jake's question, from down the hall came a shrill voice that made the coyote's spine crawl just hearing it.

"You are going to get a seven-hour detention if you don't get into class right now, Watterson! You! What are you doing just standing there?"

Jake turned around to see an elderly baboon, her face greatly wrinkled, with a scowl on her face.

"Sorry... Uh... Ma'am? I was just looking for what class I should be in," said Jake politely, hoping for some sympathy from the cranky baboon.

"A new student, just what I need," said the baboon, grumpily crossing her arms and eying the innocent coyote with disgust. "We already had enough of new students showing up to this town, left, right, and center. Like carpenter ants coming out of the woodwork."

"Are you Miss Simian?" asked Jake, burying his paws into his pockets.

"Just what I need- another disrespectful hooligan. Yes numbskull, now GET GOING!" screeched the aged baboon. Jake didn't waste a second sprinting right inside the classroom.

Jake quickly found a seat in the middle of the room, hoping that the grumpy baboon wouldn't notice him. Gumball and Darwin noticed Jake and waved to him to sit next to them.

Jake slid into the seat next to them and let out a grimace of sorts. "Hey Gumball, how's it going, Darwin?"

Gumball and Darwin eyed each other at this. "Hey, Jake, ready for the boring lectures of Miss Simian?"

"Is it going to involve a lot of screaming?" asked Jake, rubbing his ears. "Because I'm guessing she's the shouter type of teacher."

"That would be an accurate description, and she loves surprise quizzes and tests," said Gumball. "Also, make as many excuses as possible in order to get out of trouble if you want to survive this class."

"You sure that's the best advice for Jake? He could get into serious trouble if he's not careful," said Darwin, pulling Gumball aside and glancing nervously at Jake.

"Oh come on Darwin, Jake is a new student. He's going to be popular with all the new teachers and students," said Gumball, beaming at Darwin. "This will all go off without a hitch."

Gumball's short rundown of Miss Simian gave Jake a general idea of what to expect, although he was still skeptical about lying to Miss Simian as he didn't want to end up in detention. The thought was cut short by Miss Simian slamming the door shut with tremendous force. She immediately strode over to her desk and took a seat, slurping her coffee and taking a second to peer at the frowny face on it.

"Today marks another year of your academic education, at least, for some of you who can actually be taught." She then took a second to look in the vicinity of Gumball and Darwin and smiled leeringly at the two of them. Gumball slouched down in his desk, hoping to avoid Miss Simian's malicious gaze, and Darwin turned a pale white.

"I expect nothing but the best from you and I will not tolerate any... antics that might happen in this classroom. If you think you were challenged last year, you'd better be prepared to double your productivity or you will find yourselves failing in a heartbeat," Miss Simian grinned in satisfaction at scaring the class out of its wits.

"Now, without further ado, we have a new student, no doubt an excellent addition to our classroom," said Miss Simian, with weary sarcasm.

Miss Simian gazed at the coyote, expecting him to come up. Jake left his seat and calmly strode up to the front of the class. Fortunately, he wasn't tripped on his way up and turned around to face his classmates.

"Uhh... Hi, I'm Jake Wiley. I used to live in Winslow, Arizona, but now I live here in Elmore. I'm looking forward to a fun and exciting new experience at this school," Jake said, with a slightly nervous grin.

"Thank you for that stirring introduction, Mr. Wiley," mocked Miss Simian. Jake's ears drooped at this and he returned silently to his seat.

"Now that Mr. Wiley has wasted enough of our time drawing attention to himself, let's start today's lesson," said Miss Simian, turning her gaze to the blackboard and starting to write down her notes. Jake scribbled frantically, trying to keep pace with Miss Simian's detailed notes.

"Dude, take it easy! It's only the first day," said Darwin, but Jake just ignored him, already focused on his work.

Gumball sighed, crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it at Jake's head. The paper ball bounced off of Jake's head and onto his desk, drawing the coyote's attention. Gumball rolled his eyes as Jake's head swiveled, searching for the source of the paper ball.

"Over here, Jake," said Gumball, barely audible over the sound of the chalk scraping up against the blackboard.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Jake, startled by the blue cat's sudden action.

"Would you like to hang out anytime, like after school, or during lunch?" asked Gumball, hopefully. He glanced at the grumpy baboon by the blackboard, making sure she was still preoccupied with her notes.

"Sure, I don't mind. That sounds quite fun, actually," said Jake, giving a small nod before turning back to his notes. The instant Jake was facing forward he came face to face with a snarling Miss Simian.

"What is so important that it is causing you to disregard my lecture Mr. Wiley, or do you believe you're so important you don't have to answer to anyone?" Miss Simian asked, gnashing her teeth.

"No, Miss Simian, I just lost track of the lesson," Jake said, hurriedly.

"I'll be the judge of that!" Miss Simian exclaimed, snatching the crumpled up piece of paper and opening it. She examined the paper thoroughly, trying to find any pencil marks she could declare as words on it. After having no success, Miss Simian turned her attention back to Jake.

"Nice going, numbskull! Wasting my time once again- maybe you can waste my time some more with a three-hour detention!" snarled the annoyed baboon. Several students snickered at this and she raised her gnarled hand into the air to silence them.

"But, I didn't-" Jake started, only to have the ill-tempered baboon turn around and march back to the front of the classroom.

"That's totally unfair! Jake is new here and you punish him harsher than anyone of us on his first day as if he did something wrong!" Gumball exclaimed, fed up with the elderly baboon's treatment of the young coyote.

"Yeah, what he said!" said Darwin, standing up on his chair.

"Are you volunteering to join him, Gumball?! How about you, fish-boy?" snarled Miss Simian.

Gumball and Darwin both admitted defeat and they fell silent at this. Jake couldn't blame them. Although they were sticking up for him, he could understand that they had to look out for themselves as well.

"Good, it would be most unfortunate for your mother to hear about her boys getting into trouble on the first day," said Miss Simian, returning to her notes.

Jake's face was burning with embarrassment and anger. He wearily laid his head down on the desk without a word. Inside, he was hoping that this nightmare would be over and that he could return home to his family instead. The two Watterson brothers looked at their new friend with pity as the bell rang, offering Jake some solace as he packed up his things and left the room.

* * *

 **I really hoped you all liked the first chapter. Anyways where do you think this story should go? If you have any suggestions, improvements, or ideas for this story write a review or PM me, thanks!**

 **Next chapter: The Calamity- Part Two**

 _ **As Jake struggles with mastering Elmore Junior High and becoming acclimated to his new school things take a turn for the worse...**_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-When I create an OC I try to think of existing cartoon characters to draw inspiration from, in Jake Wiley's case he is named after Wile E. Coyote.**

 **-Winslow, Arizona I chose to be Jake Wiley's previous home because there is a certain song that mentions the town.**

 **-For the voice of Jake Wiley, Neo recommended Scott Menville (Thanks, Neo!) which I would say would bring the character to life.**

 **-I like to put little references and other tidbits into my stories, see how many you can find.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Calamity- Part Two

**Thanks for the support!**

 **I was honestly surprised at the number of reviews and I would like to thank all of you, my readers for the support. I appreciate the reviews on the story thank you all VERY much, I hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter, once again if you notice anything I should improve on or fix let me know. Once again I would like to make a shout out to my beta reader, I couldn't do this without her.**

 **If you have any constructive criticism, opinions, or suggestions I'm all ears, please review to let me know what I can improve on to make this story a more enjoyable read.**

 **I all hope you enjoy chapter 2 as much as you enjoyed chapter 1!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 2: The Calamity- Part Two

The welcoming smell of stale wheat and cinnamon greeted Jake as he entered the cafeteria. He took in his surroundings briefly, before tucking his book underneath his shoulder and getting into line for lunch. The various smells of foods made the coyote's mouth water in anticipation for his meal. Unfortunately, he realized he had to grab his wallet, and he placed his book in his teeth and rummaged through his pockets in order find it. He let out a short triumphant grunt upon its discovery before the book his teeth was clenching fell on his foot. Jake cursed himself as he shook off the numbing sensation in his foot.

"Hey little dude, what will it be?" said a vaguely familiar orange puppet. It took Jake a moment to realize that it was his bus driver from this morning.

"I'll just have anything, really. I'm not that picky," said Jake, leaning on the counter and placing five dollars on it as he waited for his meal.

"Long day?" said the puppet, looking out of the corner of his eye at the coyote, who was scratching his head slightly. "You look pretty worn out."

"You could say that," Jake sighed. "Not quite what I was expecting with a new school and all; this place is crazy. And I was caught off guard a bit. This place definitely isn't anything like Winslow."

"You get used to this place after a while. I'm sure you'll fit right in like a place like this," said the orange puppet.

"I hope so," Jake muttered as he grabbed his tray and slid it off the counter and placed it on top of his book. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't get bummed out little dude! And call me Rocky, everyone does," said the puppet, giving Jake a small smile. He saluted him with his ladle, accidentally flinging spaghetti sauce over himself and Jake. "Oops, I'm sorry about that little dude!"

"Right, thanks, Rocky," said Jake, grabbing a handful of napkins to clean off his face, before walking away from the line.

Rocky looked at the coyote as he moved table to table. It sounded like the kid was wearily sarcastic, but he also sounded genuine. "He'll get used to it; I'm sure of it."

Jake found an isolated corner in the lunchroom and plopped down there with his tray. He opened his book and wondered whether he should read it now. He instead set it aside and stared down blankly at his feet in the meantime.

"You think he's alright?" whispered Darwin, as he took a seat at the near-empty table near a pensive Jake. He carefully set his heavily laden lunch tray in front of him, making sure he wouldn't spill any of the contents.

"What makes you think I know?" questioned Gumball, giving Darwin an aggravated glare. "He won't say a word to me! He probably has a lot on his mind."

"I don't know, he's just been quiet the whole time ever since Miss Simian's room," said Darwin, peering at Jake. "I hope he isn't mad at us for getting him in trouble."

Jake was staring down at his lunch not bothering to eat it, his hunger had suddenly dissipated completely. He instead was just prodding it with his fork unenthusiastically. The cafeteria was lively as Rocky dished out lunch to the various students and they took seats next to their friends. Jake was sitting across from Gumball and Darwin, not bothering to lift his head up to acknowledge their presence.

"So Jake, you ready for your next class?" Darwin asked, cheerily. "Gym is always exciting!"

"Huh, what?" Jake said, stirring him from his trance slightly. "Yeah, I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the school."

"You don't seem that thrilled about it," Gumball commented as he gulped down on another bite of his hamburger. "You're about as cheery as Carrie."

"It's just all strange to me, like something out of a weird dream," Jake sighed, as he reluctantly fed himself a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "I don't know, I feel like I don't really belong in a place like this."

"Nonsense Jake! You're the new popular kid, cool, confident, sleek, the new rave of this school!" said Gumball, giving him a cheesy smile and snapping his fingers to point at him.

"Thanks for the morale boost, Slick," scoffed Jake, amused by Gumball's words. "When you put it that way, it definitely helps."

"Come on Jake, don't be discouraged! You'll fit right in," said Darwin. "Just be a bit more friendly and open to other people, and they'll start to accept you as a part of Elmore Junior High."

"Fat chance," said Jake, as he started on his meal. "I'll just stick with hanging out with you two."

Gumball looked at Jake, crossing his arms on the table and leaning inwards towards Jake. "This place is a big amazing world; don't spend your life isolated! Socialize!"

Jake's eardrums rang at how loudly Gumball had shouted the word. Part of the cafeteria noticed the outburst as well and looked at the table they were sitting at. "Just talking to my friend over here."

"Okay, thanks, guys. I guess it wouldn't hurt to make a friend or two around here. You can be a very persuasive dude." Jake shrugged as he stood up from his seat and flattened his ears against his head. "Where to?"

"Let's start with Penny, she's nice and caring, so you'll be able to get along with her not problem," said the blue cat, getting out of his seat and leading Jake to the girl's table.

"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Jake, still skeptical. "I'm sure we could go somewhere else."

"Of course," said Gumball, trying to convince Jake. Instantly after arriving at the girl's table Gumball zoned out, getting transfixed by Penny. "Uh... H-Hi, Penny."

"Hi Gumball, and Jake, I believe?" asked the glowing orange fairy, noticing the dusty brown coyote standing next to the blue feline.

"Jake Wiley at your service," said the coyote, giving a small courteous bow to Penny. Several of the girls at the table snickered at this, not doubt amused by the coyote's first impression as he grinned.

"It's nice to meet you, Penny. Gumball here recommended that I should get to know my classmates, and he's trying to show me the ropes of Elmore Junior High. As you can probably tell he isn't one-hundred percent in the zone right now," said Jake, waving his hand in front of his friend's face.

"Yeah, sure I'll go on a date with you, Penny, and then we'll kiss under the moonlight and it'll be perfect," said Gumball subconsciously, as he continued to stare at Penny.

Penny blushed at this and let out a small giggle. "I can tell he's a little distracted. You must be having a rough day; it was really unfair for Miss Simian to do something like that! She's been like that with all the newcomers. Just the way she treats other people is atrocious."

Jake simply shrugged at this. "I mean, I can't change anything. I just hope my parents understand and all."

"Worried that they'll believe you misbehaved?" asked Penny, looking sympathetically at the small coyote.

"Well, I'm sure they'll understand, but what really concerns me is how busy they are all the time," Jake said, considering how his parents would react.

"It must be moving into a new town. I'm sure things will ease up for your family," said Penny. "My family is pretty tightly knit and caring, and I'm sure your family cares about you very much."

Jake thought about what Penny had said. "It just doesn't add up," he thought to himself. Jake shook his head, "You must be right. I guess I'm just used to being less busy than I am now."

Gumball finally managed to stir from his trance. "So Penny looking forward to gym class?"

"Sort of, it all depends on what were doing," said Penny. "I'd prefer something like basketball. What about you Jake? Do you have a favorite sport?"

"Not really, but out of all sports, I like swimming the least," Jake said, bashfully.

"You come from the desert, so I take it you don't have that much experience doing that," said Gumball.

"That's part of the reason. Anyways, thanks for showing me around, Gumball, I've got some things to take care of..." said Jake as he tightened his backpack strap and walked away.

Gumball watched Jake walk away, and turned back to Penny. "He seems quite civil," said Penny, friendlily waving goodbye to Jake.

"He's a bit taciturn, though, but I'm sure we'll get to know him eventually," said Gumball, glancing over towards Jake.

"Why do I get the feeling he's going to get dragged into the crazy adventures you guys have?" asked Penny, eyeing Gumball and arching an eyebrow.

"Well, it seems to happen to anyone who manages to stay around with us for a while," said Gumball, defensively. "Besides, Darwin and I have his back."

"That's comforting," said Penny, as she kissed Gumball on the cheek. He responded with a dumbfounded love stare.

"Are you going to head to your next class Gumball?" asked Penny, as Gumball was still standing in front of her like a statue.

"Huh? Oh right, class! See you later, Penny," said Gumball, giving a goofy smile.

"Hey, Gumball, are you coming?" asked Darwin as the school bell let out the familiar metal clattering.

"Just a moment, Darwin," said Gumball, blushing as he ran over to the open door to head to the gym.

"So, what's with you making googly eyes at Penny?" asked Jake, as Gumball passed into the hallway.

"It's nothing," said Gumball hastily, as he smoothed back his fur to look more presentable.

"If I'm not mistaken, there's a little bit of history between you two, and perhaps a little chemistry..." said Jake, giving a sly look.

"It's true, Gumball goes head over heels for Penny," Darwin blurted out. "He really has a thing for her."

"Darwin!" said Gumball, turning a bright shade of red. Jake couldn't help but laugh at this. His concern for his predicament melted away and was replaced with a lighthearted spirit. The feline responded to this by whacking Jake upside the head with the coyote's own book after snatching it from his hands.

"Okay, I won't bring it up again," said Jake, hoping to calm Gumball down. He rubbed the back of his head with his paw to sooth the pain and to ruffle his fur.

"Let's just get to gym and forget about this," Gumball said agitatedly as he stomped towards the gym.

* * *

As the trio entered the gym they were greeted by dead silence; the majority of the students were sitting on the bleachers and arranged into small groups, talking amongst themselves. The only sound Jake's ears were attuned to was the sound of Darwin's sneakers squeaking as he walked across the newly waxed floors. Gumball and Darwin flopped down on the bleachers and Jake took the seat behind him, detaching his backpack from his shoulder and closing his eyes and relaxing.

"What are you doing Jake?" asked Darwin, as Jake opened one eye to catch a glimpse of the person who was addressing him.

"Killing time," said Jake, stifling a yawn as he stretched his limbs.

"Hey sleepyhead, you just going to sit like that for the rest of class?" asked Gumball.

"Yeah Blue's Clues, that's the general idea," said Jake, tugging his bandana up so it covered his mouth and nose. "Wake me up when something interesting happens."

"Darwin, flick him in the nose," said Gumball.

The goldfish followed Gumball's orders and slapped Jake in the snout. The coyote shot up out of his seat at this, alert. Jake noticed the large cube-like coach lumbering up to the class, a bored expression on her face.

"Alright class, today you'll all be playing dodgeball. Miss Simian will organize you into two teams," said the coach in a long drawling voice, as if uninterested in her job.

"This can't be good," said Gumball, wide-eyed as he looked over at Miss Simian letting out a gleeful smile. The elderly baboon was wearing her gym clothes, which consisted of a red baseball cap and a whistle draped around her neck.

"Alright class line up," said Miss Simian, blowing the whistle she had around her neck and letting out a silent cackle to herself. Miss Simian then grinned as she purposely sorted the teams, on one side of the gym where the jocks and the bullies, and on the other was Gumball, Darwin, and Jake with mostly the geeks, and nerds.

"The rules are simple, if you get hit, you're out. If you catch a ball that was thrown at you, you're out. Now, I know a certain some of you are ill-prepared for this challenge but don't worry, it will hurt a lot," the elderly baboon snickered, no doubt anticipating the moment for her least favorite students to get pounded by dodgeballs. "As for the losers that fail at this, well a sufficient extra amount of homework should suffice."

"We're going to get pulverized," said Jake nervously, as Tina Rex bared her teeth into a horrid grin that made the hair on the back of Jake's neck stand up. "Also as an insult to injury: homework, she can't be serious right?"

"Don't worry, I bet it'll be only a quick bludgeoning and then it'll be over," said Gumball, taking shallow frightened breaths.

"We're history!" said Darwin, rubbing his fins together nervously.

As if right on cue, Miss Simian blew the whistle and volley of dodge balls came soaring at them.

"Take cover!" shouted Gumball, diving behind Bobert's metal chassis. Several dodgeballs bounced off the robot, managing to force him to fall backward.

Jake did his best to weave past the other team's fire; he dived and leaped instinctively. Several dodgeballs zipped past him and the dusty brown coyote let out a sigh of relief, but this was short lived.

"Stay still, runt!" growled Tina, lobbing another ball at Jake, who ducked down. The ball skirted his head by a few inches.

"Close one," said Jake, laughing timidly before rolling to the side to avoid another dodgeball. "I'm not surprised your aim is so terrible, with your dinky arms and all."

"Shut it!" roared the t-rex in anger, causing the ground to tremble unsteadily, almost causing Jake to lose his balance.

"Jake, catch!" said Darwin, tossing a dodgeball towards him.

Jake caught it and used the ball to deflect one that was whipped at his head. "Thanks for the assist."

"Don't mention it," said Darwin, tossing one at Jamie. The bully easily caught it and threw it back at him hitting him square in the legs causing him to topple over.

"Darwin!" Gumball exclaimed, instantly running over to his brother and crouching down next to him.

Miss Simian merely grinned at this, "Watterson, get off the floor, you're out and you've once again proven you are a loser!"

"How bad is it, Darwin?" asked Gumball, concerned for his brother.

"I'll be fine, it's just a little disorientating that's all," said Darwin, rubbing the top of his head as he got up.

Jake noticed that Jamie was about to toss another ball in Gumball's direction. Jake realized Miss Simian had never blown the whistle so Darwin could get off the floor. The coyote moved in a blur of speed and caught the ball in mid-flight. The ball knocked the wind out of him, Jake's very ribs seemed to bend backward for a brief second. In a brief instant, Jake went airborne for less than a second before colliding into the ground painfully and skidding to a halt on the slippery floor.

Gumball and Darwin noticed the thudding sound and looked over to see the coyote curled up in a tight ball on the floor. Miss Simian, this time, blew the whistle, only to get a clear view of the coyote on the floor and reveling at the sight of the little coyote in pain.

"Whoa, dude you alright?!" asked Darwin.

"Yep, never better. Just a little bruised, I think," said Jake. It looked like the room was spinning uncontrollably as he lifted it up from the hardwood gymnasium floor. The searing pain of sliding across the floor made the coyote grit his teeth in pain in the hope of some dull sensation, but this only made his headache worse.

"Hey, how many fingers am I holding up?" asked Gumball, clearly holding up one of his light blue four-fingered paws.

"Uhh... I see... twelve?" said Jake, weirded out by the shifting and images in his brain as he tried to make sense of them, but the coyote maintained his sense of humor. "Is that normal?"

"Here," Darwin offered his fin to Jake and ignored his question altogether. Jake reluctantly grabbed ahold of it, only to slip again, but managing to catch himself as Darwin pulled him back up to his feet.

Jake shook off the pain and grabbed a dodgeball from the floor. "Okay, ready for more."

Darwin glanced at the coyote and the blue cat. "Hey, guys, be careful out there."

"Don't worry Darwin, we'll be fine," insisted Gumball, "we always come out unscathed in these sort of things." Darwin just gave him a glare at this. "Right, most of the time. Fine, near none of the time. But this time it'll be better than the old days, we got Jake this time!"

"I hope you're right. Give it all you've got," said Darwin, walking backward over to the bleachers.

"We will," responded Gumball simply.

Jake's face was completely drenched in sweat as he leaped to avoid another ball that was launched at his feet. Only Jake and Gumball were left standing on their team, while Tina Rex was their sole opponent. And the truth of the matter was they were no match for the t-rex. Gumball was running around like a mad man just trying to stay in the game, while Jake focused on keeping his composure. Jake's limbs were screaming for a rest as they tried to support his already battered and weary frame. Jake was once again forced to wipe away the sweat from his dripping forehead with the back of his arm.

"Come on, going to take a stand against me?" said Tina, jeering at the coyote. "You can hardly play this game, let alone win. Ready to feel the pain, runt?!"

Jake's blood was boiling: at this point, he was tired of being insulted and being shot at with dodgeballs. The coyote charged at the t-rex, with dodgeball in hand. He dashed to the left as a dodgeball whizzed by and then launched himself into the air over another one. However, the coyote landed clumsily and wiped out on the floor. Jake's exhausted body protested as he climbed back up.

"You're making mistakes, desert fox, it won't be long before you slip up," said Tina, gleefully.

"Oh, will you please just shut up!" said Jake, firing the ball at the t-rex, overshooting the large dinosaur by a few feet.

"Jake, please reconsider this: we can beat Tina if we work together," said Gumball, running up and tugging on his shoulder.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" said Jake, grabbing the blue cat and pulling him out of harm's way as several balls hit the wall where they were standing.

"If you can get her close enough to you we should have no problem," said Gumball.

"I'm loving it so far," interjected Jake, causing Gumball to hold up his hand to silence him. "Up close and personal with the Queen of the Monsters."

"We don't really have many options on this, you're just going to have to trust me on this one. Are you sure you're up for this?" Gumball glanced hurriedly to his side. "And figure it out fast, because there's a t-rex we're going to have to take down."

"I guess I don't have a choice," Jake said, getting ready. So, Jake followed Gumball's instructions and charged the t-rex. Tina focused on Jake as she launched several dodgeballs in his direction, the coyote nimbly dodged them and kept on coming. Tina lost her patience, roaring and then charging the coyote. Jake ducked and rolled underneath the t-rex.

"Gumball, now!" shouted Jake as Tina turned around snarling at Jake. The angry t-Rex then tried stomping on the small coyote and Jake had quickly dodge her foot. Before Jake could be trampled underfoot, the snarling t-rex was hit with a dodgeball in the hind leg from a well-placed shot by Gumball. The t-rex whirled around and growled at Gumball before moving over to the bleachers.

The entire team on their side of the bleachers roared and the various kids jumped off the benches in droves. Before Jake knew it, he was being patted on the back and having his hand shaken. "You almost had me worried back there, Gumball," said Jake, giving him a firm handshake. "Once again I owe you one."

"No big deal, and thanks for putting your neck on the line. I couldn't have done it without you," said Gumball, playfully pushing the sweaty coyote. "And you could use a shower!"

Jake felt triumphant he was able to beat the odds and he did a small heel click on his way to the bleachers to celebrate, only to find his path blocked by Miss Simian. "You know, you can gloat all you like in your victory, but remember I still have the last laugh. Three hours detention after school!"

"Right," said Jake, as the coyote was brought back to reality. Three hours detention with Miss Simian was going to be like his morning all over again. The bell rung and Jake reluctantly dragged himself after Miss Simian to her room. Before he left the gymnasium Darwin hollered, "Jake, you're forgetting something!"

"Huh?"

"Here," said Darwin, handing Jake his book back. "Gumball took it from you and forgot to return it back to you. I just figured you'd like that to help you kill time during the detention."

"Thanks, Darwin," said Jake, slipping the book into his backpack. "Hope you enjoy your afternoon, and it's been a fun first day, to be honest."

The walking goldfish smiled at the coyote and held out his fin and Jake high-fived him. "Mr. Wiley, do you want to see how 'generous' I can be with handing out detentions?" shrieked Miss Simian, causing Jake to rush to catch up with the old baboon.

* * *

Jake walked out of detention, feeling scot-free as he strode over to his mother's car. His mom was standing outside the car, leaning against it with her arms crossed. "Detention. Really? What did you do now, Jake? I thought I told you to be on your best behavior-" as Jake approached Brooke, her expression seemed to soften. "Jake, are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine, why?" asked Jake, not understanding his mother's concern.

His mother walked over and carefully inspected her son's unkempt and messy look. Dried sweat left his fur stuck in a spiky messy appearance and Jake had a minor black eye. Brooke gingerly pressed her fingers against the purple ring around Jake's eye, causing the coyote to shudder.

"What happened Jake? Was it some rowdy hooligan who did this to you?" said Brooke, her mood instantly becoming angry.

"Mom, calm down let me explain," pleaded Jake, but Brooke was already on a tangent.

"On the first day of school, for a new student too! The nerve! Who did this to you, Snuffles, and don't be afraid to tell me! I'll sort this all out," said Brooke furiously.

"Mom, it's okay! It's nothing; we were playing a game of dodgeball and one of my friends accidentally nailed me in the eye. It wasn't intentional, mom," said Jake, making it up on the spot.

"Oh, sorry, sweetheart, how was your first day? It sounds like you made several friends," said Brooke, hugging her son tightly and causing him to wince slightly.

"Yeah, a few, there's Gumball and Darwin Watterson, and they're pretty likable," said Jake, reserved for the most part.

"Maybe you could invite them over! I'm sure your father and I would love to meet them," said Brooke, walking over to the driver's side of the car. "Now hop in, we can talk about your first day on the drive back. And you might want an ice pack for that bruise."

"Thanks, mom," said Jake, as he hopped into the front seat and set his bag down. He slid into the comfortable seat and put his head back. _'This school wasn't quite like what I expected, but maybe I might like it here after all?'_

* * *

 **Sorry, for the long wait for this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. Anyways if you have any ideas or opinions on what should happen in the story or where I should go for future chapters let me know. I hope this chapter was better than the first one, if not let me know what aspects of my writing I can improve on.**

 **Next Chapter: The Grump**

 _ **When Jake meets the Watterson family for the first time he also is pressured by Gumball and Darwin into meeting their grumpy neighbor Mr. Robinson, leading to a crazy chain of events set off the careless duo.**_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-I might put a few twists and turns into the story that you might not see what's coming in order to keep the story interesting.**

 **-For the voice of Brooke (Jake's mom), I would imagine Sumalee Montano voicing her as she could bring the stern, but caring character to life.**

 **-I forgot to mention that NeoNimbus helped me come up with the character of Brooke (specifically the name), thanks once again Neo for the assist!**

 **-Speaking of which if you like this story check out The Newcomer and The Awakened by NeoNimbus, both are great stories, and if you like my story you'd definitely like his and I implore you to check it out.**

 **That's it for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Anyways, I will see you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Grump

**Once again, here is the next chapter to my story, once again it took a little longer to write it. I would also like to again thank my readers very much for your support. If there was something you disliked about this chapter or any gripes about the story itself I'm all ears. I want to become the best writer I can possibly be and create an enjoyable story for you all.**

 **Thank you and let me know what you think. I'd like to thank my beta reader again for her help and for all my readers for being so patient, now without further ado, here is chapter 3, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 3: The Grump

The school bell rang, signaling the end of class. The Watterson brothers exited Miss Simian's classroom, with Jake not far behind. The bustle of the hallways was something the coyote had gotten used to over the course of several days and he had no trouble weaving through the dense crowds. The sounds of friends conversing and slamming lockers resounded through the narrow hallway.

"Man, talk about boring!" Gumball yawned, lazily rubbing his eyes. "Did you catch any of that Darwin?"

"As I recall, the only thing you were catching, Gumball, was some z's," said Jake, with an amused smile. Gumball gave him a flustered look.

"Because it's so boring!" Gumball exclaimed exasperatedly as he dragged his feet. "You imagine being in her class for a year prior before just showing up!"

"Fair enough," said Jake, as he propped the door open for his friends to exit the school. "So any plans for today?"

"A few, it is a Friday after all," said Darwin gleefully as he deeply inhaled the fresh fall air into his lungs.

"Wait, it's Friday already?" Jake asked alarmed, as the cold autumn breeze tickled his nose and face. The coyote was taken aback by the news, as his heart skipped a beat. "Wahoo!"

"I can tell you have quite a set of detective skills, Sherlock," said Gumball mockingly.

"In my defense, this week has gone by in a breeze," said Jake annoyedly. Gumball rolled his eyes.

"If your snout wasn't in your books all the time you might catch up on some things," Gumball replied, amused as he leaned up against the steel railing on the side of the concrete stairs. The blue cat the slid down it as if to look cool, but unfortunately for Gumball, his tail was against the rail and the weight from his body managed to pinch it uncomfortably. "Ow! Ow, my tail."

"Well done," said Jake with weary humor as Gumball rubbed his tail to relieve the pain.

"Ha ha, very funny," said Gumball, barring his teeth angrily as Jake disguised his laugh as a bad cough.

"Just trying to keep things lively," said Jake, gently gliding down the railing to avoid making the same mistake Gumball did. "So, what are you guys going to do today?"

"Well, we actually wanted to see if you wanted to visit our neighborhood today," said Darwin. He glanced at Gumball, who gave a small nod of approval.

"Well, I have some things going on, but I think I can buy the time," said Jake, smoothing back his fur. "Lead the way, guys."

With that, the trio set off at a brisk pace down the sidewalk. "So, Gumball, what can you tell me about your family?" asked Jake, turning to the blue cat.

"Well, there's Anais, she's the baby of the family; our dad, who stays home; and our mom, who works at the Rainbow Factory," answered Gumball, counting each person on a finger of his paw.

"I can't wait to meet them," said Jake with a grin. "I'm sure you and your family must be close."

"We certainly are. Mr. Dad and Mrs. Mom are great parents," said Darwin. "What about your family?"

Jake paused, thinking about what to say. "Well, there isn't much to talk about. My dad is a biomedical engineer, and as for my mom, she's a pharmacist. I do have some extended family, though to be honest I know more about my mom's side than my dad's. What about you? Any extended family?"

"Well, not really, we're close knit, though," said Gumball, fiddling with his fingers.

"If you say so," said Jake, fixing up his clothes in order to make himself presentable.

"Hey we're here," said Darwin abruptly as they stopped in front of the house.

The house looked like a typical suburban home. The blue house had a quaint look to it and seemed quite ordinary. The porch steps squeaked a bit as they walked up. Jake looked at the Watterson brothers, who motioned for him to ring the doorbell.

The coyote took a short breath before ringing the doorbell. It took several seconds for the door to open up, revealing another blue cat. The cat was clearly older, somewhere in her late thirties to early forties. She wore a white collared shirt with a badge on it and a light gray skirt.

"Hello boys, is it after school already?" Nicole yawned, clearly tired. Jake noticed how worn out she looked, seeing the sagging look in her eyes.

"Yeah mom, and we'd like you to meet someone. This is Jake Wiley. He's new to Elmore, so we figured we'd show him around the house," responded Gumball, standing aside to show his mother the small coyote. "And Jake, this is our mom, Nicole."

Darwin drew closer to Jake at this. "Just be very careful, Jake; Mrs. Mom can have a short temper sometimes."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jake whispered back, before getting a light jab to the ribs from Gumball. The coyote then turned to Nicole and cleared his throat.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Watterson," said Jake, offering out his paw. The older blue cat shook it before giving him a small smile. "Come on in then, make yourself comfortable!"

Jake walked over the threshold and onto the carpet, taking in every sight. The smell of fresh cookies filled the air and the soft hum of the television broke the silence of the household as Jake walked into the living room. The coyote noticed a pink mass snoring on the couch, his tongue lolling out and muttering to himself. The rabbit was well dressed, sporting a black tie and a dress shirt.

"That's our dad, sheltering himself like he does every day from responsibility," said Gumball, noticing Jake's surprised expression at seeing their father.

"Richard! We have company!" shouted Nicole, noticing her husband's laziness. Jake jumped at the sound of her commanding voice.

"What?! Of course honey!" said Richard, jarred from his sleep as he let out a goofy smile. "Who's the little guy?"

"Mr. Dad, we'd like to introduce you to Jake, he's new around town," said Darwin, patting Jake on the back to push him forward so he was face to face with the large pink rabbit.

"Hello there, little fella," said Richard, awkwardly shaking the coyote's small paw. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to have finally met you, Mr. Watterson," said Jake courteously as he released his grip on the pink rabbit's large paw. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I'll let you know I'm hard at work," said Richard, his voice full of pride at this. "Someone has to stay home and look after the kids and the house."

"Right..." said Jake, staring at the large half-eaten bowl of popcorn on the couch. "Keep up the good work then."

"That's the idea, and as you can see I'm very busy right now," said Richard, as Jake let out a sideways glance to Gumball and Darwin.

"Come on dude, we'll show you around the house," said Darwin, poking Jake to get his attention.

"Sounds good," said Jake, tagging along with the two brothers as they went upstairs, grabbing the railing for support as he hustled up the stairs two at a time.

Jake noticed Gumball and Darwin's room first, as it had their names precariously slapped on the door in the same colors as their fur and scales respectively.

"Here we are," said Gumball swinging the door open for all three of them as they walked inside. The room was a bit disorganized, having several posters slapped on the wall that caught Jake's attention. He also noticed the old computer, with an open window of Elmore Plus, with a chat with Penny still opened, something Gumball most likely forgot as he rushed over and closed it out immediately.

"Nice place," said Jake, leaning against the bunk bed. Gumball sat down, plopping down against his pillow.

"It's a cool place to hang out," said Darwin, fiddling with his stuff to square it away.

"Where do you sleep Darwin, do you have the top bunk?" asked Jake as he looked at Darwin.

"Oh no, I sleep in the fishbowl," said Darwin pointing at it, placed in the corner of the room.

"Seriously?" asked Jake, bewildered at what Darwin had just said.

"Yeah, I just like sleeping there because it has a cozy feel to it," said Darwin, shrugging.

"Alright makes sense," said Jake, pulling his backpack off. "So what do you guys do for fun around here?"

"I'd thought you never ask," said Darwin, energetically. "Care to demonstrate, Gumball?"

Gumball let out a low murmur from where he was lying. "I guess we could do that."

"Still tired from Miss Simian's class?" asked Jake. Gumball nodded groggily, and Jake continued, "I can tell you're just bursting with energy."

"No one enjoys sarcasm, Jake," said Gumball as he shook his head in order to wake himself up.

"I do," said Jake, enjoying himself as he sat down at the desk in the chair, reclining backward.

"I'm getting up, I swear," said the blue cat, leaning heavily on his bedpost as he wobbled unsteadily while getting up. "Right, want to play something outside, I think we all could use some fresh air."

"I'm all for it," said Jake. "It is a nice day out, and I don't plan wasting it inside."

"Agreed," said Darwin. "I'll race you!"

And with that, Darwin took off at a furious pace. Jake eagerly took off after him before almost colliding with a small rabbit. Jake instinctively dug his heels into the tan carpet to slow himself down before stopping short of the small pink rabbit. She straightened her dress and glared at Jake.

"Oh, hello there," said Jake, kneeling down and speaking in a soft tone for the child. "Sorry for almost running into you, little girl, I'm just in a hurry to play with my friends."

"That's apparent," said the small rabbit, slightly annoyed. "And stop speaking like that, it's getting on my nerves."

"Oh, sorry about that, I thought you were the youngest in the family?" asked Jake. "Anais, right?"

"I am the youngest in the family! That doesn't mean that my brothers are more mature or responsible than me," said Anais, sighing and shaking her head. "Let's try this again, I'm Anais, and it's nice to meet you..."

"Jake," said the coyote, sheepishly towards the child. "Just out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"I'm four. Hey, take my advice: my brothers are good people, but just make sure they don't cause crazy situations," said Anais, shaking Jake's paw briefly.

"I'll take your word for it, little one," said Jake, nodding at this giving a smug smile.

"Oh brother," Anais groaned and headed towards her room, not bothering to look at Jake as she shut the door. At the same time, Gumball rushed up to him.

"I'm here now, what did I miss?" asked Gumball, nearly slamming into Jake as he came to an abrupt halt.

"Not much pal. Come on, Darwin is probably waiting for us," said Jake.

* * *

The cool air immediately stung Jake's nose as he left the warm interior of the house. Darwin was holding a baseball hat in one hand and had it slung over his shoulder.

"Come on guys, are you ready?" Darwin asked, handing the bat to Gumball.

"Definitely," said Gumball, tapping the baseball bat on the ground before practicing his swing.

"Let's do it," Jake said. He threw the baseball up in the air and caught it one handed.

"Ready! Do your worst, furry," said Gumball, taunting Jake by waving him on.

"Oh, you are so going to get it!" said Jake, whipping the baseball at him while keeping a faint smile.

Gumball hit the baseball hard, cracking it upwards. "Nice hit!" said Jake, amazed as it sailed through the air. Jake leaped as high as he could to catch the ball, but only managed to tip it slightly.

"Thanks, I've had some practice," said Gumball confidently.

Darwin failed to catch the ball though and it landed in the neighbor's yard, finally rolling to a stop next to a set of elderly puppets sitting in their lawn chairs. One was a bald, purple, with a large nose and an already furrowed unibrow. The lady who was no doubt his wife was the same shade of purple and had hair, unlike the elderly man.

"Oh, hey Mr. Robinson!" said Gumball, instantly becoming overjoyed. "Jake, this is Mr. Robinson, the greatest neighbor ever, and his lucky lady, Mrs. Robinson."

The old man stared at the blue cat, grumbling to himself a scowl on his face. "Ugh, great, just when I thought I could have some peace and quiet."

"Come on Jake, go over and introduce yourself to him, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to talk to you," said Darwin, patting the coyote on his shoulder.

"Okay," said Jake, unsure as he climbed up the picket fence separating their yards and slid down into the Robinsons' yard, landing gently on the lawn on all fours.

Jake got to his feet and was quiet in walking across the yard as he looked for the ball. Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of it caught in the gutter of the house. The dusty brown coyote looked desperately for a path to acquire the ball but found nothing. "Guess I better meet the Robinsons, see if I can get their help."

"Wait is it? For the thousandth time, I want to be left alone!" Mr. Robinson exclaimed, crossing his arms angrily as if expecting it was Gumball and Darwin, not Jake. Jake responded by clearing his throat, getting the elderly puppet to stare at him, while his wife automatically gave a look of disdain towards the young coyote.

"Oh, I'm not familiar with you. Are you with those two goons?" asked Mr. Robinson, slightly unsettled by the sight of the outsider.

"Those goons are my friends, sir," said Jake respectfully.

"Just what do you think you're doing in my yard anyways?!" said the elderly puppet, scowling as Jake stopped approaching him. Mrs. Robinson snickered happily at this and walked inside.

"With your permission, we'd like to retrieve our ball for our game of baseball," said Jake, fidgeting on foot to foot, careful with his words in order avoid angering the puppet.

"Look, you seem like a practical kid, so I'll make this short: don't cause any trouble around this house!" shouted the puppet, flailing his arms around in the air.

"So this is the jolly one himself?" muttered Jake to no one in particular as he stared at his feet. "He is one grumpy muppet."

"I heard that, shorty!" said Mr. Robinson, now right in front of him looking down at the small coyote. His brow was furrowed and he was looking around. "Now it's time for you to try a new game! It's called learning responsibility for your actions."

Jake merely gave a look of dissatisfaction at this. "I'm thrilled," he said snidely, as Mr. Robinson grabbed Jake by the collar.

"Alright, find your ball, only after you rake the yard," said Mr. Robinson, releasing the scruff of his neck.

"You know, you could have just asked nicely, I'm not unreasonable," said Jake, picking up a rake and spinning it in between his paws. "And couldn't I wash your car or something like that?"

"Believe me when I say this kid, last time someone tried to wash my car things didn't work out," said Mr. Robinson, facepalming at this.

"I get it. I'll let you know when I'm done," Jake replied, working right away to clear the yard.

"Good, and don't disturb me until you're done!" said Mr. Robinson, slamming the door to prove his point.

"What a mouth on that guy," said Jake, shifting his ears up and down at this to get rid of the numbing sensation in them. "He's 'cheery'."

Next thing he knew, someone grabbed him from behind and Jake instinctively grabbed them and lifted the person off the ground. They landed hard onto the stiff ground.

"Ow, what was that for?!" Gumball asked, disgruntled as he lifted himself off the ground, rubbing his bruised shoulder.

"My goodness, sorry about that Gumball. You startled me, that's all," said Jake, helping Gumball off the ground. Gumball gave an annoyed look as clutched his arm and Darwin rushed over.

"So, did you meet Mr. and Mrs. Robinson? Aren't they the greatest?" asked Darwin cheerfully as Jake shook his head.

"You don't really understand how you neighbors feel about you, do you?" asked Jake, helping Gumball brush off several of the leaves sticking to him.

"They really appreciate us as neighbors Jake, and they joke around with us all the time. What's not to understand?" asked Gumball perplexedly, brushing away the last of the leaves.

"I'd say they think the exact opposite of that," said Jake, continuing to clean the lawn. "Ah, nevermind. It'll go over your head. Mind giving me a hand?"

Gumball and Darwin nodded and helped Jake clear the lawn in a brief instant. "That was short," said Gumball, now organizing the leaves.

"Right, did you see where the ball landed?" asked Darwin, nudging Jake.

"It landed in the gutter. If we get a step ladder, we'll be able to reach it-"

"Come, I'll boost you up," said Darwin, putting out his fins for Jake to stand on.

"Alright, you sure this is a bright idea?" asked Jake, cautiously.

"Jake, it's perfectly safe," responded Gumball, giving him a pat on the back.

"Yeah, sure it is," said Jake, nervously as Darwin lifted him up. Jake then climbed up the second story window to reach the roof.

Immediately, Jake lost his footing, sliding down the roof. He managed to grab the gutter, and it bent under his weight.

"Ahh!" Jake exclaimed, struggling to hold on. He shimmied across the ledge and managed to pull himself onto the roof.

"You alright up there?" shouted Gumball, from the porch of the Robinsons' house.

"I'll be fine!" Jake replied, carefully testing his footing on the rooftop. The roof creaked underneath him.

"Maybe you should lay off the donuts?" Gumball asked, watching the coyote as he nervously navigated the roof.

"Are you kidding me? One word to describe me would be scrawny," said Jake, hoping for dear life that he wasn't going to fall.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside, Mr. Robinson was enjoying himself immensely as he watched television in his armchair. "You know what, Marget, maybe those kids aren't half-bad."

Mrs. Robinson merely responded with her usual low muttering, followed by rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know it's like wishful thinking," retorted Mr. Robinson, slamming his fist into the armrest of his chair.

Next thing he heard was a rattling noise from the roof. Mrs. Robinson to let out a low hiss at her husband. They were both thinking along the same lines.

"For the love of-" Mr. Robinson abruptly got up from his chair and opened the door. "What do you kids think you're doing?!"

Mr. Robinson had to take off his glasses, clean them off, and do a double take to make sure he wasn't mistaken. "Where are they?" the elderly puppet asked himself as he circled around the house towards the backyard.

Jake slid down the roof at an alarming rate, and although he tried to slow himself down with his feet, he reached the edge of the roof. However, the end of his pant leg and foot were caught, leaving him hanging over the edge upside down. Jake tried to steady himself while in this nauseating position.

"Gotcha," said Gumball triumphantly as Jake tried not to look down. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just enjoying the view," said Jake humorously, letting out a low whistle at the close call. "But I have to know: what's keeping us from falling?"

"About that..." said Gumball as they lurched forward suddenly.

"I had to ask!" Jake exclaimed, annoyed with himself as they both fell off the roof. Their fall was broken by something large and squashy.

"Ouch!" roared Mr. Robinson as the two landed on top of him. Mr. Robinson furiously fought and struggled at this. "Get off of me!"

"Is everyone okay?" asked Gumball, getting up quickly as he hadn't taken the brunt of the fall.

"Fit as a fiddle," said Jake, slightly bruised, but well off in the end, as he stretched up from the fall.

Mr. Robinson got up, as grumpy as could be, and he glared at the dusty brown coyote and the blue cat. His pale, purple face was slowly turning a dark shade of maroon.

"Uh, Gumball, I think it would be a very good idea to get out of your 'cheery' neighbor's yard," said Jake, taking several steps back as a precaution.

Mr. Robinson walked into his house at this without another word to them, still red-faced, stomping all the way.

"I'm surprised he's taking this so well," said Jake, looking at the house.

"Yeah, he sure has... But now that we got the ball back, let's play ball!" said Gumball, throwing the ball.

"No wait!" said Jake, desperately trying to stop Gumball. It was too late and the ball missed Darwin's swing and crashed through the Robinsons' window. The sound of angry footsteps followed, and Mr. Robinson popped out now with a large lump on the top of his head.

"Care to explain?" said Mr. Robinson, angrily. Darwin and Gumball shifted nervously at this.

"Uh, hey there Mr. Robinson, you're looking well," said Gumball, carefully.

At this, Mr. Robinson snapped. "That's it!" And with that, he started to chase Gumball and Darwin, while Jake watched in horror.

"Jake, do something!" Gumball yelled as he dodged out of the way of Mr. Robinson. Gumball and Darwin ran in circles try to deter Mr. Robinson from chasing them. Gumball panted furiously as he avoided Mr. Robinson, now brandishing the baseball bat they were using at him.

"Get out of my yard you little rascals!" shouted the old puppet, swinging wildly.

Jake sighed and moved into the way. He caught the baseball bat, stopping it. "Mr. Robinson, hear us out please."

"Fine, but what would you be so compelled to say?" asked Mr. Robinson, as he rubbed the lump on his head, annoyed at its inconvenience.

"Just that we're sorry about everything and all the trouble we've caused along the way. I'm sure you aren't the least bit happy with us, but we'd like to apologize for our behavior. We're just kids and we've got a lot to learn, and our actions aren't the best or the brightest for that matter-"

"Yeah, we really messed things up," said Gumball, interrupting Jake's speech.

"-so I hope you can forgive us for our behavior," finished Jake, placing his hands by his side as Mr. Robinson thought.

"Alright, you little rascals remind me of myself when I was younger," said Mr. Robinson, chuckling slightly at this as the three exchanged looks. "Not the best example I know, but just promise me you won't purposely cause trouble again."

"You have our word, Mr. Robinson," answered Jake briefly.

With a smile, Mr. Robinson entered his house once again, greeted by his wife, who was staring at the peculiar lump on his head. "It's nothing Marget, just child's play," he said, pretending to be grumpy, which she merely shook off and gave a look of concern for her husband.

"Let's say we mosey up some more trouble," said Jake, leisurely, with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm good, I think we've caused enough trouble today. I'm fine with just sitting on the couch the rest of the day," said Gumball, amazed at what Jake had pulled off.

"I couldn't agree more," said Jake, bashfully, as he shoved his paws into his pockets.

"Anyways, want to play a few video games?" asked Darwin, shuffling backward.

"You're on!" said Jake, eager to do something else, hopefully not getting into trouble this time.

* * *

 **I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter if you have any ideas or opinion feel free to ask, I don't mind at all. If there is anything in terms of my writing technique or skills that I should brush up on let me know.**

 **Next Chapter: The Imposter- Part One**

 ** _After Bobert is accidently damaged, he starts mimicking Jake's behaviors and personality, much to the young coyote's dismay. With his reputation on the line, Jake will have to enlist the help of an unlikely ally to help him out._**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-As this story will be very character oriented, the story will focus on mainly on characters from the show. Some characters will be more prevalent than their roles in the show.**

 **-These next chapters will help establish the character of Jake better, and might bring up major plot points for the rest of the story.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed chapter 3, and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Imposter- Part One

**Hey, Nomad here with a new chapter. Sorry for not updating it soon, but I've been a bit busy lately. Once again, let me know what you think. If there is anything in my writing style that I could improve on let me know, also if I make any grammatical mistakes let me know as well.**

 **Once again if you could let me know what you think I would appreciate it. Finally, I would like to thank my beta reader, who I accidently referred to as he in previous chapters (sorry about that!). She was a great help on this chapter, and I really appreciate her work. Without further ado, here is chapter 4.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 4: The Imposter- Part One

The recess after lunchtime gave Jake time to think. The coyote was sitting in the schoolyard on the grimy, gritty asphalt, reminiscing about his days in Winslow. He fixed his collar slightly and tried to ignore the chilling breeze that rushed past his fur. The cold air seemed to make his lungs freeze every time he took a breath. The schoolyard was not a quiet place, but Jake enjoyed the wide open space rather than the confined conditions of the classroom. Jake hummed to himself as Gumball and Darwin conversed amongst themselves.

"This weather is cold; it's not what I'm used to," said Gumball, pulling the collar of his sweater around his nose and mouth, hoping to shield them from the cold.

"At least the fresh air is a welcome change. It's really stuffy in the classroom," said Darwin, drawing his knees closer to the rest of his body as a strong gust of wind passed by. "And look on the bright side! You have fur instead of scales, so that has to count for something."

"You're right, but it's mostly just for my stunning looks," said Gumball, full of himself. "It's hard to make a decision of whom I should date with all these girls chasing me."

"Dude, first of all, girls aren't chasing you because you're dating Penny, and second of all, I don't know where you get your delusions from," said Darwin, shaking his head.

"Jake agrees with me, though, I'm quite the ladykiller," said Gumball, suavely, which Jake responded to with a skeptical look. "See, he agrees!"

"Whatever you say, Gumball," said the coyote, rubbing his paws together to keep warm. "I'm just worrying about surviving Miss Simian's class for another day."

"Yeah, she really wants to trip us up! I mean, two pop quizzes in the course of three days? Talk about crazy," said Darwin.

"It's not that bad," said Jake, shrugging as he stretched his arms into the air. This got him looks from both Gumball and Darwin.

"Dude, you are seriously such a nerd," said the blue feline, holding back his laughter. "Do you fall asleep reading your textbook or something?"

"Very funny," said the coyote. "At least my mother doesn't have to tuck me in at night and read me bedtime stories."

"Good comeback, Jake," said Gumball, surprised by his friend's response. "Wait a second, here comes Bobert."

"Who?" asked Jake, not familiar with the name.

"You know, Bobert, the high-tech robot?" asked Darwin. "Come on Jake, you still don't know your classmates and it's your second week here."

Jake just grinned sheepishly and shrugged at this.

"Salutations," said the shiny white robot, tilting his large head to the side to inspect what they were doing. "What activities are you doing for today?"

"Just relaxing while we still can," answered Gumball. "Speaking of which Bobert, have you met Jake?"

"No, I have not. Greetings," responded Bobert, simply.

"Pleasure to meet you," said Jake reaching his paw out for a handshake. Bobert responded by closing his clamp-like hand on Jake's fingers. The coyote restrained himself from yelping in pain and closed his eyes, trying to shut the pain out. Jake then tried to yank his crushed fingers from the powerful vise grip of Bobert's hand.

"What is he trying to do?" asked Bobert, not understanding that he was causing the coyote intense pain. Jake struggled with all his might and leaning all the way back. Finally, he was able to release his fingers from the robot's grip and landed on the asphalt clumsily.

Both Gumball and Darwin were snickering amongst each other as Jake held his paw gingerly.

"Good grip," Jake commented dryly, moving his fingers to make sure that none of them were broken.

"Thank you for the compliment," said Bobert, his eye changing to a different shape, which appeared to indicate happiness.

"Anytime..." said Jake, a bit annoyed that the robot had made his fingers go numb.

The robot merely shrugged off Jake's behavior, not realizing his annoyance. "Can I join in whatever you're doing?"

"Well, sure Bobert," said Gumball, cautiously. Bobert immediately sat down with them, happily bobbing his head up and down which got a few chuckles from Gumball.

"Dude are you alright?" Darwin whispered to Jake, trying to avoid gaining Bobert's attention. "That looked painful."

"Yeah, never better," remarked Jake, still gingerly rubbing his paw.

"Hey, at least you're meeting new people." Darwin grinned, trying to reassure Jake.

"I have an inquiry," said Bobert, moving his attention over to the playground. "Can we try the monkey bars?"

"That sounds fun actually," said Gumball. "Up for the challenge Darwin, Jake?"

"You bet!" said Jake, eagerly as he hopped up from the ground. "I could use the exercise; I'm freezing."

Jake grabbed the freezing cold monkey bars tightly in his paws as he swung himself forward from one bar to the next. The cold steel of the bar against the pads of his paw came off as annoying, but he came accustomed to it. Jake swung off the bars and landed steadily, bowing for Gumball, Darwin, and Bobert.

"Show off," said Gumball, shaking his head at Jake's showmanship. "They call me the master of the monkey bars for a good reason."

"This should be interesting," mused Jake as Gumball got on the monkey bars. The blue feline made it about halfway across the bars before slipping and landing down on the ground, wincing as he hit the asphalt. Gumball was, fortunately, alright as he gave them a thumbs up.

"Boy, that felt good," Gumball said shakily, slightly jarred from the experience.

"Everything okay?" asked Jake, patting him on the back.

"Yeah, just dandy. Don't worry, I can take a lot of pain, believe me," said Gumball, leaning against Jake for support, before pushing off of him.

Bobert was already traversing the monkey bars, in a happy mood. He looked completely carefree with his one eye closed. The metal robot slipped without warning and landed headfirst onto the asphalt.

"Bobert?" said Darwin, waiting for a response from the robot, but none came.

"C'mon," said Jake, heaving the solid robot up and propping him up against the base of the monkey bars with some help from Gumball. "Bobert, is anything broken?"

The shiny white robot responded by opening a small hatch on his head and spewing oil all over Gumball's and Jake's faces. Their faces were now dripping with the black, gooey substance, blocking their vision.

"Darwin, do you mind helping us out here?" asked Gumball, persistently trying to rub of the thick oil slick that was now caked to his fur.

"Sure thing," said Darwin. "Shouldn't there be a power button here somewhere? There it is! Okay, and Bobert is back on."

Bobert snapped back on at this. "Downloading personal file," said Bobert, ignoring Gumball, who was waving his hand in front of his face.

"You okay Bobert?" asked Jake. "That looked quite painful."

"I'm perfectly fine, but what's with this Bobert person?" asked the robot, getting to his feet.

"He means you, the walking pile of steel and bolts," said Gumball dryly, as if Bobert was playing around.

"I'm not a pile of steel, and my name is Jake, Jake Wiley," responded the robot, oblivious to the bewildered looks he was receiving. Jake carefully examined the robot to see what was amiss and noticed a minor dent in the robot's head.

"No Bobert, I'm Jake Wiley," said Jake, pointing at himself.

"Well, you're clearly delusional in that case. You might want to take some time to remember who you are, after all, you are dressing and acting like me," said Bobert, giving an almost critiquing look at Jake.

"That's because I'm the real Jake Wiley," said Jake, slightly flustered at this fact.

"Wait, Jake, do you know what kind of opportunity you are passing up?" asked Gumball, grinning mischievously at what he had in mind.

"I can only assume you've come up with a plan to exploit Bobert while he is in this state?" asked Jake, glaring at the other 'Jake'.

"Think about it, he can do anything for you now! Chores? He's got them covered, homework as well! Tests, quizzes- you wouldn't have to work another day," said Gumball, daydreaming at the idea.

"I think it's a bad idea. Remember what happened last time when Bobert tried to become you?" asked Darwin, trying to convince Gumball otherwise.

"Ah, memories," Gumball said with a grin. "Seriously, it's like having your own personal servant."

"I don't want to talk about it," said Jake, heatedly, as he looked over at Bobert. "We have to get him fixed. Any suggestions?"

"The nurse's office," said Darwin, confidently.

"Right, you want to help me grab him?" said Jake, looking at Gumball and Darwin.

They both looked at him helplessly as if they didn't want to carry the heavy metal robot.

"Fine," said Jake, slinging Bobert's arm over his shoulder. "Can you at least accompany me?"

"Sure, we can do that Jake," said Darwin, following Jake as he strained to support Bobert.

"If he starts singing Daisy Bell then I'm done," said Jake, still hauling the heavy robot.

"Cheer up Jake, we're almost there," said Darwin, swinging the door open for Jake. Jake stepped inside the nurse's office, before releasing Bobert, letting the robot clatter to the floor.

"My spine," said Jake, rubbing his back. "Thank goodness. Anyways, you guys should go ahead to class. I'll catch up with you."

"You sure about that?" asked Darwin, looking around for the nurse. "We can always stick around."

"There's nothing else you can do for now, and I don't think this will take me too long. I'll be back at Miss Simian's room in no time at all," said Jake, high-fiving them both and holding the door open for them.

"What seems to be the matter with him?" asked the nurse, looking down at the robot that slumped against the table.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," said Jake, hesitant to explain.

"You're the new student," said the nurse, switching the subject.

"That's right. I was hanging out with my friends Gumball and Darwin," said Jake, sheepishly starting to recount the tale of how the events transpired. All the while, the nurse tried her best to fix up the robot, as her task got increasingly more frustrating.

* * *

"No, I can't fix him," said the band-aid nurse, slightly frustrated at Jake's persistence.

"You have to! I can't have him acting like me for the whole day, think of how much trouble we'll both be in," said Jake, desperately. "I need your help, please?"

"Look, I'll try to talk to Principal Brown about this so you can avoid getting in trouble, but it's the most I can do. I'm a nurse, not a mechanic after all," said the school nurse sympathetically, as Jake quietly nodded in defeat.

"I best be off to class," muttered the coyote to himself. "Otherwise, I'm going to get it."

Jake and Bobert exited the nurse's office. Bobert was in a particularly good mood, whistling to himself, as Jake reluctantly trudged to Miss Simian's class.

"So what was all that nonsense about? I feel perfectly fine," stated Bobert, happily heel clicking, leaving major dents in the floor as he landed.

"First of all, you don't look like Jake and you don't sound like Jake," said the now disgruntled coyote, crossing his arms.

"I can fix that, I just have to clear my throat," Bobert let out a horrid sound as he tried to correct his voice, nearly shattering Jake's eardrums. "See, how about that?"

Jake was startled upon hearing Bobert's 'new' voice as it was exactly the same as his, in its overall sound. The coyote shook his head and walked past Bobert to Miss Simian's class, frustrated. He reluctantly opened the door and silently walked through, hoping his late entry into the class would go unnoticed. The dead silence of classroom was not a good sign and was a warning for the young coyote as he scanned the room for Miss Simian.

"What have we here?" asked Miss Simian, waiting to the side of the doorway as Jake checked his left side. "Care to explain where you've been?"

"It's complicated, Miss Simian," said Jake, looking down at his feet, trying to avoid her cold gaze.

"Spare me your excuses," said Miss Simian, bringing her face right in front of his, close enough for the coyote to smell the coffee on her breath. "Do you only make excuses for yourself? Do you have any responsibility?"

"I do," said Jake, lifting his head up to make eye contact with Miss Simian. "If she's going to keep belittling me, I should at least stand on my own two feet," Jake thought to himself.

"Well, not from what I've seen," she snarled back through her gritted teeth. "Now get to your seat, unless you want to end up in detention."

Jake strolled to his seat, not at all scared of Miss Simian's threat. He placed his backpack on the floor and took his seat. He quickly unpacked and brushed the leftover eraser shavings from his desk.

"You're here," whispered Gumball out the corner of his mouth, to avoid notice by Miss Simian. "What kept you?"

"It's Bobert. He's still acting like me or trying to act like me," said Jake as Bobert stopped right in between them.

"Sorry if this sounds rude, but you're in my chair," said Bobert, still believing to be the coyote.

"Do you see what I mean?" asked Jake, motioning towards the robot. "He won't leave me alone."

"Maybe you need some help to get him to remember who he is," said Darwin, suddenly getting an idea. "Anais could help us."

"Well, it's worth a shot to stop this walking tin can from impersonating me every step of the way," said Jake, looking up at the board to scribble down the notes.

Next thing Jake knew, he was face first on the floor, as he was grabbed by Bobert and spun around before crashing into the desk in front of him, which happened to be Carmen's desk. The coyote pulled himself off of the ground and yanked the prickly pins of the cactus from his face with a calm demeanor. Though he received a backward glance from Carmen who was missing a multitude of pins from her left arm now.

"Sorry about that Carmen, I sort of fell," he said hastily, as he turned to see Bobert reclining back in his desk. "Care to explain?"

Bobert didn't respond to this instead of choosing to ignore him altogether. The coyote sighed and headed towards the back of the classroom. On the way, he reached for his bag before having his arm caught in Bobert's clamp.

"Hey, Bobert, let me go right now," demanded Jake, trying not to struggle.

"Don't even think about it, thief!" snarled Bobert in a simulated version of Jake's voice.

"Well now, that's ironic. I'm not the one who happens to be stealing another person's identity," growled Jake, before wrenching his arm out of Bobert's grip and storming to the back of the room and sitting next to Tina Rex, of all people.

"Having trouble with the walking spark plug?" said Tina, letting out a horrid laugh that only made Jake more unsettled at being at the back of the room.

With none of his possessions, Jake tried to listen as best as he could, though, with half of the bullies in Elmore Junior High nearby, it would be safe to say that anyone who was in the back of the room had a death wish. Jake kept silent for the rest of the class, hoping to himself that he wasn't going to become a personal punching bag and hoping they'd leave him alone.

This was not the least of Jake's worries, however, as Miss Simian walked from seat to seat distributing a thick packet of work and a pencil. She stopped at Jake's desk for a moment and let out a cringeworthy grin before dropping the papers into the rickety old desk.

"Listen up! This test is meant to test your knowledge of this year's curriculum so far. You have fifteen minutes to complete it, starting now!" The elderly baboon cackled as she took a large slurp of her coffee.

Jake got right to work, looking through the packet to find the easy problems to solve. The packet was filed with deceiving questions and long open response questions that boggled his brain. The coyote monitored his progress by glancing up at the clock occasionally. Jake's sweaty palms did not help him as he had to bear down on the pencil more, as its tip was ground down to a flat nub.

"Five minutes," said Miss Simian gleefully as the students in her classroom started to panic, frantic to get their answers down.

Jake was cool under pressure and scribbled down the last of his open response question. He double checked his answers and closed the packet, for the most part, satisfied with his work.

"Time's up," said the elderly baboon, walking by each desk and snatching their tests and pencils from their grip. When she reached Bobert's desk and collected his test she looked at Jake, casting him a dirty look. She maintained this grumpy demeanor as she returned to her desk and slouched, looking over several of the tests.

The bell rang at this note and Jake rushed out of the classroom, hoping to retrieve his things from Bobert. "Where could he be?" said Jake, scanning from side to side.

"Hey Jake," said Gumball, greeting the coyote. "Trouble?"

"It's just Bobert, he made off with my stuff. Any idea where he went?" asked Jake, peering around Gumball and checking the area around him for Bobert.

"Ah, do you mean this stuff?" said Gumball, pulling Jake's backpack out from behind his back.

"How'd you get it from Bobert?" asked Jake, taking his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I have my ways," Gumball said with a smirk. "Anyways, you should get going, 'Jake' won't take kindly to losing his stuff."

"Thanks, Gumball, how can I ever repay you?" said the coyote, beaming happily at the blue feline.

"That's two you owe me, saving your stuff and your hide from Tina Rex in the dodgeball game," said Gumball, proudly tapping his chest.

"Yeah, but you and Darwin owe me one for saving you both from Mr. Robinson," said Jake, pointing at Gumball.

"Well, Darwin is getting Anais. She'll be able to help us get Bobert back to normal, no problem," said Gumball, reassuring Jake.

"I hope so," said Jake to himself, before facepalming.

"What is it?" asked Gumball, not understanding Jake's frustrations.

"Bobert, where is he now?" said Jake.

"You're right, last I checked he was either heading to the gym or the library, muttering about how he is the real Jake Wiley," said Gumball. "Maybe we should split up, we can cover more ground that way."

"Sounds like if you find anything suspicious in your investigation let me know; we have to stop Bobert before he starts making matters worse for me," said Jake. He was about to set off but then turned back around. "You sure this will work Gumball? It seems like a wild goose chase to me."

"Hey, Jake, you forget- it's me. I can't get into trouble because of my roguish charm," said Gumball, taking off down the hallway.

"Okay then, I'll just go this way I guess," said Jake as he snuck down the hallway. "Where could he be?"

* * *

Gumball rushed down the hallway, darting through the crowds of people, looking around for Bobert.

"Gumball?" said Anais, capturing the young blue cat's attention.

"Hey sis, you have a plan to get Bobert back to his boring normal self, right?" said Gumball, facing his sister and brother.

"Don't worry, Anais has a plan," said Darwin. "I'm sure it will work."

"From what Darwin has told me, Bobert's memory banks have taken damage and he believes himself to be Jake," said Anais, before getting interrupted.

"Like a case of amnesia, we know that much," said Gumball.

"Will you just shut up and listen?" demanded Anais. "There's a certain way to reboot Bobert, but the key is to sneak up on him. We'll have to power him down and take him apart and reorganize his data banks."

"Sounds simple enough," said Gumball hastily.

"There's more, we've got to careful when tampering with Bobert, anything we might do to him could have a long-lasting result," said Anais. "We can't just throw caution to the wind."

"Don't worry Anais, we can pull this off no problem," said Darwin confidently as he followed his brother.

"I don't think that will be the case this time," sighed Anais as she followed her brothers down the hallway. "Can you slow down for a second? First of all, where's Jake?"

"We split up in order to look for Bobert. I'm sure he'll let us know if he found anything suspicious," said Gumball.

"Where is he now?" asked Anais. "We need to talk to him as well."

"I think he was heading towards the library," said Gumball, stroking his chin as he thought.

"Come on, let's find him," said Anais, turning around and urging her brothers to follow her.

Jake silently moved down the vacant hallways, finding no sign of Bobert.

The coyote rounded the corner to find several familiar faces.

"Oops," snarled Tina Rex as Jake came into view.

"Oh crap!" said Jake nervously, backing up only to see Jamie and Anton behind him. "Alright, I'm cornered. Not to worry; I just have to think of something."

The coyote backed up before running into the water fountain. "That's it!" he thought, quickly devising a plan to get away.

"Alright coyote, you've become a nuisance and you need a lesson in respect," said Tina, clearly annoyed by the dodgeball game.

"Well, go ahead, I'm not scared, not in the slightest," said Jake, with confidence.

"What?" asked Jamie, incredulously.

"Go on, get it over with," said Jake, ready for Tina to try to hit him.

Tina swung her tail at the small coyote. He ducked and the tail hit the water fountain, removing it from the wall and sending water blasting all over Tina's gang. Jake let out a relieved laugh as the t-rex and her friends floundered around, trying to get up from the floor. Jake had remained relatively dry, his clothes only being slightly damp and his fur speckled with water.

"What have we here?" said a familiar voice, making the hairs on the back of Jake's neck stand up. "Mr. Wiley, care to explain what is going on?"

Jake turned around to see Miss Simian, once again glaring at him. He remained silent at this, not wanting to make matters worse than they already were.

"Well, I'm sure you can explain in the principal's office," the elderly baboon grabbing the reluctant coyote by the forearm.

"You have to explain your actions of late, Mr. Wiley," said Miss Simian, taking pleasure from Jake's puzzled reaction. "Don't know what I mean? Well, there's enough evidence to get you into detention for the next week or two."

"I highly doubt that Miss Simian," said Jake.

"Don't be so sure, want to explain why your name is scrawled over two tests? Are you purposely trying to confuse me, and now tampering with school property. Those are some capital offenses," said Miss Simian, taking joy in Jake's frightened expression. "Perhaps I should inform your parents, the looks on their faces when they realize their son is nothing but a no good hoodlum."

 _"What have I gotten myself into this time?"_ Jake thought to himself as he was led into the principal's office.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading the newest chapter. Anyways, what did you think about it and is there anything I should improve on? Also what characters would you like to see in my story? Thanks and as always stay tuned for the next chapter!**

 **Next Chapter: The Imposter- Part Two**

 _ **Will Jake be able to convince Principal Brown to let him off the hook? It seems very unlikely when Miss Simian starts pushing for the young coyote to get detention for the rest of the week, starting that day. Anais, Gumball, and Darwin might have an ace up their sleeves, though.**_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-Daisy Bell is the song Hal 9000 sings as he is deactivated in 2001: A Space Odyssey**

 **-I've been brainstorming several new characters for this story, and they might appear in several chapters.**

 **-As for the twists and turns, they'll show up in some of the later chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Imposter- Part Two

**Hey there, once again. Nomad here with another chapter of The Outsider, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd just want to all the people who reviewed, I will take your advice to heart. Also, my beta reader was a huge help as she helped me tremendously. If there's any mistakes or things you would have done differently let me know. And you're in for a shocker at the end of this chapter. Now here's chapter 5.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 5: The Imposter- Part Two

Miss Simian paced up impatiently from one side of the office to the other. Despite her somewhat annoyed mood, she was overjoyed at the small coyote staring blankly at his feet as she thought about what punishment should suit him.

"If it's not too much trouble to you, Miss Simian, I'd like to know why I am here, and I think I'm entitled to an answer," said the coyote, summoning enough courage to speak to the elderly baboon. He thought he had been rather polite and wasn't prepared for her response, to say the least.

"Keep your tongue behind your teeth!" she snapped. "You'll get you explanation soon enough."

The coyote shifted in his chair uncomfortably as he readied himself for the worst. The door opened to reveal what Jake could only describe as a hairy slug.

"Say, what's with the moving carpet?" Jake blurted out instinctively, immediately regretting what he had said.

"Young man, that is not how you address the principal of Elmore Junior High. Now you may call me Principal Brown," said the furry lump, pushing his glasses up his face to get a good look at Jake. "So, you're the new kid I keep hearing about."

"It seems to be the case," muttered Jake as Principal Brown looked at him curiously.

"Tell me, Mr..." started Principal Brown, looking through his school filing cabinet in his drawer to find out the coyote's name.

"Wiley, Jake Wiley," finished the coyote, placing his paws impatiently on the desk.

"Of course. If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Wiley, have you ever been one for causing trouble?" asked the principal, tugging a thin folder from his desk and scanning through its contents.

"Well, trouble has a way of finding me, but if you could just hear me out I'll be on my way and out of your hair for the rest of the year," said Jake, hopeful that the principal of his new school would cut him some slack.

"You seemed to have stirred up some trouble in your past- you and this Mr. Sullivan," said Principal Brown, looking at the file suspiciously.

"Well, you haven't met my friend, he's a bit of a show-off," said Jake bashfully as he tried to stop himself from grinning.

"I see. Then what has Jake done wrong, Lucy? I don't see what exactly he's done to violate the school's code of conduct," said Principal Brown, staring over his desk at Jake, slightly sympathetic.

"Try explaining your way out of this," hissed Miss Simian as she dropped two tests in front of the principal.

"I'm surprised the desk didn't collapse under the weight," Jake remarked dryly, as they made a loud thunking noise on the desk.

"Can it, Wiley," snarled Miss Simian, clearly annoyed by the snide remark. "As you can see here, it appears that Jake has taken the test twice, which doesn't add up."

"I'll take the one is the higher grade of course," said the coyote, staring down at the papers. "I could use the grade boost."

"You won't have to worry about the grades, as you'll be spending the next week in detention, you little punk!" said Miss Simian, her nostrils flaring.

"Please Lucy, let's keep this civil," said Principal Brown soothingly. "Mr. Wiley, what do you have to say in your defense?"

* * *

"Any luck?" asked Darwin, tugging on Gumball's sleeve as he peeked around the corner.

"Quit it, Darwin, this is important recon," said Gumball in a hushed voice, with a hint of annoyance. "It's like being a super spy."

"Sure it is," scoffed Darwin. "Can you at least tell me what they're saying?"

"Well, that's not important-" said Gumball, trailing off.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Darwin yanked on Gumball's arm, trying to get his attention.

"Hey!" Gumball pulled his arm back from Darwin, causing both of them to lose their balance and tumble into the hallway.

"Gumball?" asked a certain glowing fairy, hovering above them.

"Uh... Hey Penny," said Gumball, embarrassed as he clambered up from the floor. "I was just looking around for Jake and Bobert."

"Right, I think I saw Jake getting escorted to the principal's office," said Penny nervously, "I hope he's alright."

"I'm sure he's alright," said Darwin hurriedly as he stared at Gumball. "He's probably not even in that much trouble."

"Well, I think things are more serious than you may realize; the last thing I saw was Miss Simian dragging him to the principal's office," said Penny sheepishly. "Anyways, I should get going. See you, Darwin, love you Gumball."

"Love you too Penny," said Gumball cheerily as she disappeared around the corner.

"Darn, now how are we going to get to Jake?" asked Darwin, hoping for a response from the dumbfounded blue cat. "Gumball?"

"Hmm. What?" asked Gumball, his eyes curiously in the shape of hearts.

"Come on, Gumball! Jake is depending on us, we can't just let him down!" Darwin began to drag his friend down the hallways. "Is it too much to ask for you to at least not space out every time you see Penny?"

"I wasn't spacing out!" said Gumball defensively.

"The drool all over your shirt says otherwise," said Darwin.

"What? Where?" responded Gumball, scanning his sweater carefully.

"Relax, I'm just kidding," Darwin laughed.

"Now the question is how to get Jake out of the office. We'd need something to get both Miss Simian's and Principal Brown's attention..." Gumball stroked his chin as he tried to come up with an idea.

"I've got it, the fire alarm!" said Darwin, abruptly.

"Wouldn't that get us into trouble?" said Gumball skeptically.

"Yeah, but that's only if we get caught! We just have to keep ourselves one step ahead of the teachers," said Darwin, eying his surrounds to make sure no one was overhearing their conversation.

"That's apparent, and besides, I hate snooping around," said Gumball, crossing his arms indignantly.

"Would you rather take a more straightforward route, causing more personal injury and costing a fortune to repair?" Darwin asked, slightly annoyed by Gumball's sentiment.

"Fine, you have a point. Has Anais had any luck finding Bobert?" Gumball asked. Darwin checked his phone.

"Nothing, sorry. I'm sure Anais knows what she's doing," said Darwin reassuringly. Gumball was nervously pacing back and forth.

"I know she's bright, but I'm just worried that she might not be tactful enough to manage it. Bobert's case of pretending to be Jake might be a handful, and might raise a few stares if we're not careful enough," said Gumball, shaking his head. "And that's one explanation I do not want to give."

"I get it." Darwin nodded. "But we have to if we want to bust Jake out."

"Here goes nothing," Gumball grumbled, as he walked over to the fire alarm. The blue cat found the white lever and tugged on it, and in a brief second, the school turned went from slightly chaotic to completely anarchic.

* * *

Anais had been on Bobert's tail ever since the Watterson siblings had split up to cover more ground. The pink rabbit had kept her distance, but the fire alarms went off. Next thing she knew she was doused in cold water as the sprinklers turned on.

"What the-" Anais shielded herself by putting her books over her head. "What are Gumball and Darwin doing now? I leave them alone for ten minutes and they already start causing havoc."

Anais hurriedly looked through the hallways, hoping to sight the easy to spot white robot. However, it was to no avail, as the students from various parts of Elmore Junior High flooded the hallway.

"Can you excuse me? I need to get through. Pardon me," said Anais desperately, trying to make it through despite being pushed down the hallway by the vast crowd. In a last ditch effort, Anais crouched down to let the crowd pass by her, but Bobert was nowhere to be seen.

The shower of freezing water made Jake jump in surprise.

"What on earth is going on here?" demanded Miss Simian, shielding her papers from the downpour.

"Is there a fire in the building?!" Principal Brown controlled his panic. "I'll go check it out, you stay here with Mr. Wiley."

"Hmph," responded Miss Simian, as Principal Brown exited the room. She was giving Jake a look of deep loathing as if the last place on earth she'd want to be was in the same room as him. "Don't think you're off the hook; you're far from it."

"Oddly enough, everyone keeps telling me that," Jake remarked, wringing out the water from his clothes and brushing water droplets from his fur.

"So far you've only been a hindrance in the classroom environment and a hooligan all around," said Miss Simian, with a second glare in Jake's direction.

"I'm not here to cause problems in Elmore Junior High, I promise you that," said Jake, as genuinely as he could.

"You believe that you're a good student? Ha, don't make me laugh," scoffed Miss Simian.

"I am a dedicated student, but I'm still getting used to things around here," said Jake. "Besides, I could surprise you."

"Hmm. Surprise. I'll strike a deal with you Mr. Wiley: I'll forget this whole incident happened and you could become one of my star students," said Miss Simian, grinning villainously as she concocted a plan in her mind.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be to harm someone's reputation?" Jake asked, suspicious of whatever the baboon had planned.

"It's nothing too bad. The Watterson goons trust you, so how about you help me frame them for something? Then we can forget this whole mess ever occurred, and you'll be so much better off that way, with no losers to hold you back." Miss Simian grinned, hoping that this would allure Jake.

"Deceit and self-interest are values that I don't believe in," said Jake, turning his head away. He wasn't willing to speak another word.

"Be reasonable, the offer is always on the table," said Miss Simian with an evil smile, tapping her gangly fingers together. "The choice is always yours. If you wish to befriend those losers, then be my guest."

Jake stayed silent at this, not bothering to give any of his attention to the elderly baboon. 'She must believe that I'm some sort of delinquent when I'm not,' Jake thought to himself.

"Not that I am incredibly interested in what's going on here," said Miss Simian, breaking the silence and rolling her eyes. "I have better things to do than this."

"You can't be serious, are you?" asked Jake incredulously, getting out of his seat as Miss Simian reached the door.

"Oh, I am deadly serious," Miss Simian cackled.

"What about me, though?" asked Jake, moving towards the door.

"You'll have plenty of time to stay in here and think about what you've done," she said, continuing out the door. She slid the key in between her fingers, and with that, she promptly slammed the door shut and locked it without hesitation.

Jake threw himself against the door using his shoulder again and again, to no success. The coyote finally gave up, rubbing his now bruised shoulder, before sitting back down in his seat.

"What kind of door locks from both sides?" Jake sighed as he looked around the office.

A light rap on the office door caught Jake's attention. He headed over to see who was there and recognized the familiar face of a certain goldfish as he reached the door.

"Darwin, what are you doing here?" said Jake, baffled at his sudden appearance.

"I'm here to bust you out! We need you to help us stop Bobert," said Darwin, looking down either side of the hallway.

"Hate to rain on your parade, Darwin, but I don't think I'm getting out of here soon," said Jake, motioning to the confines of the office. "I'm locked in here."

"I think I have a solution to that. Why don't you try the vent? You could probably get out using that," said Darwin, pointing at the grate on the ceiling of the office.

"You want me crawling through the ducts?" asked Jake. "That's not exactly safe."

"I'm sure it's perfectly safe! I see it in movies all the time! You have to trust me, Jake," said Darwin.

"Okay," said Jake reluctantly. He went over to Principal Brown's desk and climbed on top of it. With one leap he managed to grab the grate with both hands and feet and yank it open. The cover to the grate landed on the ground with a clatter.

"Darwin, get out of here, go!" Jake hissed, hanging on the outside of the vent. Darwin disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

"Anais! Thank goodness you're alright." Gumball knelt down to give his little sister a hug. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine, Gumball. What's with the fire alarm going off?" Anais asked, releasing her grip on her brother and frowning.

"Oh, that... It's nothing," said Gumball nervously, trying to ease his sister's suspicions.

"Really? Why do I get the feeling you did this?" Anais motioned to her damp and dripping clothes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Gumball defiantly, crossing his arms.

"Don't play stupid with me just because it's easy," said Anais, annoyed at her brother's reluctance.

"Let's point fingers at someone else. You lost sight of Bobert, didn't you?" said Gumball, his temper quickly rising.

"Oh, and you're going to pin this one on me?" said Anais, equally as furious. "You caused me to lose sight of him when you set off the fire alarms and sprinkler systems!"

"Oh yeah, well..." said Gumball, trying to hold on to his temper.

"Am I interrupting something?" Darwin asked, catching their attention.

"It's nothing," said Gumball quietly.

"You need to work together. We can't complicate things by fighting amongst ourselves," said Darwin, as if disappointed by their behavior.

"We're sorry Darwin. You're right; we should be working together," said Anais, hanging her head in shame.

"I understand this is frustrating, especially since Bobert is several steps ahead of us," said Darwin.

"Yeah, and who would have guessed that it's this hard to find a robot who should be sticking out like a sore thumb," said Gumball jokingly, cracking a small grin. "We can do this. We've been in worse situations, like when we had to retrieve Anais's Daisy the Donkey doll from the junkyard with a t-rex after us."

"Yeah, you're right Gumball! This is child's play compared to that," said Anais, her mood brightening. "Come on, let's find Bobert!"

Jake crawled through the vents, wiping the sweat off his face. The confined conditions did not improve the coyote's mood, but he kept a positive outlook on the matter. 'It could be worse,' he thought to himself as he turned left through the maze-like system. The coyote stopped for a brief second, trying to guess where he was in the school and caught his breath for a second.

"Okay..." the coyote sighed, finding a narrow segment of the vent and squeezing his way through it. "Whew- Oh no, not good!"

Jake was sliding down the vent, heading towards a drop off point. He put his arms and legs out to stop himself from sliding down the vertical drop off any further.

"Too close, I need to be more careful next time," he muttered, noticing a slumbering teacher in a classroom below him. The coyote shimmied up into another vent that came out of the current one he was in. The other vent was slightly cooler and the change in temperature was a welcome relief.

"Haha, I'll be out of here in no time," said Jake, celebrating. Jake squinted through the dark space of the vent, hoping to make out a shape. The smooth metal clanked as he shifted his body through the vents. Suddenly, a cold breeze whipped through the vents, chilling Jake's sweat and damp clothes.

"Freezing," Jake said, his teeth chattering as he forced a grate open and hopped down into the hallway.

"Jake?" asked a familiar voice. Jake turned to see Gumball, Darwin, and Anais.

"Fancy seeing you here," joked Jake, rubbing his numb forearms. "Have you seen Bobert anywhere?"

"Well, it's complicated, but you'll believe it when you see it," said Gumball, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's around the corner if you want to check it out."

"Alright then, what will you guys do?" asked Jake, looking at each one of them.

"We're with you Jake," said Anais, as she exchanged looks with her brothers. Jake nodded and walked around the corner to see what looked like an attempted artistic rendition of himself.

"Well, that's creepy," said Jake, commenting on Bobert's new look. "Please tell me he didn't use my face for reference, because if that's the case, I'm far more ugly than I realized."

"Glad you're taking this rather well," said Gumball.

"Come on Bobert, we have to fix you," said the coyote, walking over and grabbing Bobert's robotic arm. The robot's eye narrowed at this and he hit Jake square in the chest. The metal claw caused the coyote serious pain as Bobert took advantage of this and threw him into the nearby wall. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow morning," Jake groaned.

"Why do you keep badgering me? I don't need any of your help," the robot said in Jake's voice, making Jake roll his eyes.

"Hey guys, I might need a little help," Jake said, pinned against the wall by Bobert.

"I'm on it!" Gumball exclaimed, rushing at Bobert and tackling him. "Not so tough now, are you?"

Bobert kicked Gumball and sent him flying up into the ceiling, leaving a crater before the cat flopped onto the floor. "I should have seen that coming," said Gumball, in a great deal of pain.

"There has to be another way to approach this, because if we keep it up this way we're never going to get anywhere," said Jake, as Darwin hoisted him back up on his feet. "Got any ideas, Anais?"

"If we can disable him through a strong electrical discharge, we might be able to reboot him back to his old self," said the small pink rabbit.

"Thanks for the quick thinking, Anais! I'll keep him busy," The coyote threw himself into the fight again.

"Yeah, sure. Darwin, make sure Jake and Gumball are fine. They might need a trip to the hospital when this is over."

"I'd expect nothing less. I guess being a pacifish pays off," Darwin said with a shrug.

Jake charged at Bobert and swung his fist at his dome head. He yelped in pain as his hand collided with the solid metal plate. This caught the attention of Bobert, who backhanded the coyote and sent him to the ground.

"Yeah, you're some genius, Jake! Punch solid steel; I'm certain it will be fine," the coyote groaned sarcastically, rubbing his paw before putting them up again.

"How about I take off the gloves?" Bobert quipped, unscrewing his claw-hand and hitting Jake across the face with it.

"Please tell me I do not sound like that," Jake complained, falling to the ground and spitting out a tooth. "And would a coyote be able to do that?"

"Seriously, you're more concerned about your image than all the trouble you've got yourself into," said Gumball, trying to keep his distance from Bobert. "Darwin, we might need a little bit of help here!"

"Well, I'll try." Darwin sprinted towards them, only to have Gumball thrown at him. The duo crashed into each other and fell to the ground in a mangled mess.

"I hate cheap knockoffs." Jake shook his head as he pushed the robot into the wall. "Seriously Bobert, you can't find any other hobbies?"

"Don't call me that! I'm Jake Wiley," Bobert demanded, as determined as ever.

"Help me restrain him, Darwin!" commanded Jake.

"You're seriously going to listen to this pretender? Hit him for me," insisted Bobert.

Darwin's eyes skipped back and forth to either Jake, confused over which one was which.

"Hit the one that's clearly the robot!"

"He doesn't know what he's saying! He's out of his mind!"

"Just do something!" they yelled in unison, fed up with Darwin's inability to act. So, Darwin did as they said and hit the real Jake with a strong uppercut to his jaw.

"There, out for good robot Jake!" said Darwin, confidently.

"Darwin, that wasn't Bobert, that was the real Jake," said Gumball, recovering.

"Aah," Jake groaned, clambering up from the ground and rubbing his jaw to relieve the pain. "I've got some trust issues with you now, Darwin."

"I didn't mean to, Jake!" Darwin exclaimed, appalled. Bobert found this funny, laughing in chuckles eerily similar to Jake's laugh.

"Laugh it up," said Jake, trying to keep his temper in check. "It might be the last chance you get."

"Wait, what?" Bobert asked, looking around side to side.

"Now Anais!" said Jake, and the little pink rabbit delivered the shock by attaching a defibrillator to Bobert, causing an electric shock to course through him.

"A shocking conclusion," Gumball scoffed, as Bobert toppled over and fell on his back. The robot powered down and all four of them each let out sighs of relief.

"We just need to reboot him now." Jake reached for Bobert's reset button.

"Not so fast!" Jake paused in reaching for the button, his blood running cold as he realized who was behind them. "Turn around. See, I told you Nigel; they're all a bunch of hooligans, and they should be dealt with as such."

"You've got this all wrong," said Anais, getting in front. "We can explain everything."

"Really now? Because the way I look at it, you've damaged school property, tried to spring a no-good troublemaker from the principal's office, and caused mayhem throughout this school! Mayhem that compromised the safe learning environment of this school, and we're supposed to HEAR YOU OUT on this?!" Miss Simian screeched, fuming.

"I know that it all looks bad, and I take all the blame for this mess. They wouldn't have tried to get me out if Bobert hadn't started going haywire. We were just trying to fix him. We didn't mean for it to harm anyone, honestly," said Jake, standing tall despite his friends' frightened looks.

Miss Simian bit back her retort as Principal Brown motioned for her to stop. "That's quite enough Lucy. Very well, we'll forget this whole incident happened if you prove that something is wrong with Bobert."

Anais nodded at this and looked at Jake before reactivating Bobert. The robot climbed to his feet, shaking his domed head. "What happened? Everything is so confusing."

"Bobert, can you play back some of your recent memories?" asked Anais, crossing her fingers at this.

"I can try." Bobert struggled, but finally displaying the proof they needed.

"Alright, that is quite enough. Thank you, Bobert," said Principal Brown, and Bobert ended the playback. "I'll keep my promise, but no more trouble in the school. Understood?"

The four kids nodded, and Principal Brown and Miss Simian walked away from view, with the baboon murmuring, "It's your lucky day."

"I'm sorry for trying to imitate you in every way, Jake," said Bobert, his head sagging. "I just wanted to be more like you. I never intended to become you, hence why I was damaged: I thought I could be you."

"It's alright Bobert. Just do me a favor? Never try to be like me again," said Jake, with half a grin on his face.

"Group hug," said Bobert, pulling all four of them into a bone crushing hug.

"How long is he going to do this?" asked Gumball. "Normal people don't hug this long."

* * *

Jake clambered over the threshold and into the Wiley's new residence. Jake was still getting used to living in Elmore, and every time he walked into his house, he expected the familiar looks and sounds of Winslow. "Hey sport, keep your chin up!"

"Hey dad," Jake yawned.

"Long day?" interjected Brooke, grabbing her son by the shoulders before wrapping her arms around him for a hug.

"Definitely," said Jake, traipsing through the kitchen to open the refrigerator. He poured himself a glass of orange juice. His parents' cheery and energetic demeanor had caught Jake by surprise. "Mom, I thought you'd still be working today?"

"Not today! They insisted I have the rest of the day off, for my little angel," she said, ruffling his fur.

"Okay... I guess I should clear the table and get started on my homework," said Jake awkwardly, as he walked over to his spot on the oval table and moved a stack of cluttered magazines. One of the magazines at the top slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor. Jake placed the rest down before retrieving the last magazine. He had to double check to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

On the cover of the magazine was a puppy, wearing a diaper and smiling happily. Jake was shocked by this and dropped it almost immediately. The coyote spun back towards his parents.

"A big surprise son. We were going to wait until dinner to tell you, but you're going to be an older brother!" said Glenn, seeing how overwhelmed he looked.

"Is that why we moved?" asked Jake, still shocked by the news.

"Part of it, we wanted a safer place to raise your little sibling," said Brooke, compassionately. She knelt down to eye level with him. "And Elmore worked out, we learned about a month ago, and we have been planning ever since."

"Hey, come here," said Glenn, pulling all both of them into his embrace and they sat there on the floor as a family for several moments. Every part of Jake's being was overwhelmed with questions. _'Am I ready to be an older brother? Am I ready for such a responsibility? Would Gumball have any advice?'_ These questions popped in and out of Jake's mind as doubt gnawed away at him.

* * *

 **Shocking, right? I wanted this to a be surprise from the get-go. As you can imagine Jake won't take this news too lightly, it will also shape his character by making him a bit more unsure about himself. As for future chapters, well, Jake will have a lot on his mind. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed the second part of The Imposter if there's anything I should do for future chapters let me know. Also, should I improve on my writing style? Let me know I want to be the best writer I can be. Hoped you liked the chapter! Until next time, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next Chapter: The Eldest**

 _ **Jake tries to learn from Gumball and Darwin about how it is being an older brother. What could go wrong?**_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-For a main antagonist for the story, I've been thinking of who will fit the role the best. It may be an existing character or an all new one, who knows? ^^**

 **-I got the idea for the twist from a book called: Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar. It is one of my favorite books, and I'd recommend reading it as it is quite entertaining.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Eldest

**Hey Nomad here, sorry for the hiatus and thanks once again for the reviews. Anyways here's a new chapter, and I have some new ones coming soon, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 6: The Eldest

The coyote woke with a start, pushing the sheets off of himself. He pulled himself sitting upright, his breath shallow and frantic. The dry knot in his throat and the sweat dampening his fur didn't help. The bedroom was dimly lit by faint orange lights from the street lamps. The room wasn't what was troubling him. Jake looked over at his alarm clock; the neon blue letters read 12:30 A.M. He laid back down and stared at the ceiling.

"I just need to sleep," Jake told himself, wrapping his blankets tightly around himself. Yet, the coyote felt like he was fooling himself. He still didn't want to believe the shocking turn of events. He sighed and hopped out of his bed, running his paws through the messy fur atop his head.

As the young coyote ventured downstairs, he couldn't help thinking about how complex things would be as an older brother.

"It certainly won't be easy," Jake mused as he filled up a glass with water. He gulped the clear liquid down in a hurry. The flicker of light signaled that he wasn't alone, as a shadow approached him, patting him on the back.

"How's it going son?" Glenn yawned, leaning against the granite counter. "What are you doing up at this hour? It's usually impossible to get you out of bed."

"Funny," said Jake, half-heartedly.

Glenn gave a sideways glance at this, realizing the shift of tone in his son's voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah," the younger coyote lied, as his father slid his arm around his shoulder.

"So, quite a shocker?" asked Glenn, waiting for his son's response.

"You could say that," said Jake, looking around the sleek kitchen.

"What? Afraid you're not going to be the favorite anymore? Now you've got competition," teased Glenn, pushing him lightly.

"Not really," said Jake, somberly. "I'm not really sure I'm older brother material. I just don't know if I'm ready for such a responsibility."

"Being an older brother isn't that bad," said Glenn, pulling his son closer to his side.

"Really?" asked Jake. "What was being an older brother like?"

"Well..." said Glenn hesitantly, "maybe it's best if you go back upstairs and get some shut eye. I'll tell you all about it another time, but it's a school night and your mother with never forgive me if she has to drag you out of bed again."

"Please dad," said Jake, but Glenn tapped him on the shoulder with his paw, and ruffled his fur affectionately before sending him off to bed. Jake glanced over the banister in the shadows as his father pulled a photograph off of the window seal and smiled, apparently reminiscing.

With that, the coyote went back into his room. He could have sworn he saw his father's shadow lingering outside the doorway, his paws on his head, before closing the door.

* * *

The noisy alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day. Once again, Jake floundered his paw around, hoping to silence the loud beeps, and managed it eventually. He shifted out of his bed to find his mother right in front of him.

"Morning Snuffles!" said Brooke gleefully, pulling Jake into a tight hug, pinning his arms against his sides.

"Morning mom," Jake yawned, and attempted to hug her back. "Is it morning already?"

"Yeah sleepy-head, shouldn't you be getting ready?" said Brooke, nuzzling him gently.

"Yeah, I would be if I wasn't tied up in a bone-crushing hug," replied Jake.

"Oh, sorry Snuffles," said Brooke, releasing him briefly looking at him. "Ready for another day?"

"Definitely, as you can see I'm just bounding with energy," said Jake letting out an enormous yawn.

"I can tell." Brooke giggled slightly at this, before examining Jake's face and lifting his chin up. "When did you lose a tooth?"

"Just a small incident," Jake said with a shrug, feeling the gap and the nub of the new tooth replacing it with his tongue.

"You sure you don't want to head to the dentist Snuffles?" asked Brooke, sounding overprotective as usual.

"I'm fine, and Snuffles? You haven't really called me that since I was eight," said Jake, embarrassed at the use of his old nickname.

"Oh, sorry Jake, I just got carried away," said Brooke.

"It's fine mom, just don't use that nickname too often." Jake, turned around to pick up his backpack from the floor.

"Have a fantastic day, Jake," said Brooke leaving the room with an energetic smile. "Plus, I might come by and pick you up after school and finally meet the friends you speak so highly of."

"Oh, brother..."

* * *

The uneventful day at Elmore Junior High surprised Jake. The day had gone smoothly as he sat down at his regular seat, noticing the change in atmosphere. Gumball and Darwin were both whispering among themselves, but fell quiet the instant Jake reached the table.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one with secrets," Jake thought as he flipped a quarter in the air and caught it.

"Hey Jake, you seem to be in a decent mood," Gumball said, twiddling his fingers.

"Decent?" asked Jake, placing his tray down on the table and squinting, suspicious of his friend's phrasing.

"Did you hear the news around the school? It's all the rave..." started Gumball, hoping Jake would get what he was saying.

"And what is it?" said Jake, cluelessly. The coyote's bamboozled expression caused Gumball and Darwin to shake their heads.

"The Fall Semi-Formal! Did you even look at all the notices posted everywhere? You can't walk five feet without bumping into one," interrupted Darwin, looking at Jake as if he was trying to make a bad joke.

"I hadn't heard," said Jake, playing with his soup. "I assume it's going to be a big event?"

"Yeah, and we were thinking, who are you going to bring?" asked the goldfish.

"Well, I was thinking of not going," answered Jake. Both Gumball and Darwin exchanged looks of annoyance.

"You're serious? Why aren't you going?" asked Gumball skeptically.

"Well, I'm kinda shy, especially when it comes to asking a girl out. Plus, I have two left feet and I don't want to be making a fool of myself on the dance floor," said Jake, defensively.

"You have two left feet?" asked Darwin, his eye twitching as if creeped out.

"No, that's not what it means, it means I can't dance," stated Jake, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, we could always teach you then," said Darwin.

"I'll pass," said the coyote, as pleasantly as possible. "Especially with the crazy news."

"What might that be then?" Gumball asked as Jake gulped down another spoonful of hot soup.

"Well... My mom is pregnant," answered Jake nervously

Gumball spat milk all over the table in shock, while Darwin gave Jake a bewildered look.

"I knew something like this was going to happen," Jake said humorously, as Gumball found his words.

"Why didn't you tell us? This is big news!" Gumball coughed as Darwin patted him on the back.

"I just found out yesterday. Besides, this was different; personal," said Jake, looking away briefly.

"You don't have to shut us out Jake, we're your friends remember," Darwin said, patting Jake on the shoulder.

"I know, and I'm not. This is a good moment, one of the happiest moments of my life so far," Jake chuckled.

"It's good to hear your family will have a new addition to it, but being an older brother requires reprehensibility," said Gumball, as if to bestow his wisdom upon Jake.

"You mean responsibility, right?" asked Jake, amused.

"Whatever. Anyways there are some tips and tricks you should learn to be 'the older brother,'" Gumball replied. "We'll show you after school, right Darwin?"

"Sure, I can make time for that," said Darwin.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I feel like I should do something in return. Afterward, we can grab something at Joyful Burger, my treat," said Jake, grinning.

"Sounds good! I'm holding you to that," said Gumball, pointing at Jake with a smile.

* * *

Jake closed his flip phone as his call with his mom ended. He had managed to convince his mother he was staying after school for a club. He quietly sat on the guard rail, kicking his feet back and forth until Gumball and Darwin showed up.

"Are you sure you're up for the challenge?" asked Gumball, as walked up to Jake.

"I welcome it," responded Jake with a self-assured grin.

"Good, now heads up," said the blue cat, quickly throwing his binders into Jake's chest. The cumbersome binders caused Jake to lose his balance, and he toppled over and fell into the bushes.

"First lesson: you have to have better reflexes. Do you honestly think your little sibling won't throw food or something worse at you?"

"And what good does this do?" asked Jake, his voice muffled from the bushes.

"It helps you prevent your little sibling from hitting you in a little temper tantrum," said Gumball, "and you failed. Fantastically."

"Maybe this was a bad idea after all," said Jake, clambering up from the bush and climbing back over the guardrail.

"Don't kid yourself Jake. You've got the potential to be a great older brother, I promise you," said Darwin, encouraging the coyote.

"I'm sorry, but you must have me confused with someone else," Jake joked. "Besides, I've added to the already endless ego of your brother."

"You got me confused with the other guy," Gumball replied, crossing his arms. "Now Darwin, let's test Jake's ability to resist his new sibling's orders."

"And what is this suppose to do?" asked Jake, warier this time.

"Darwin is going to try to hypnotize you and get you to do what he wants, and you've got to try to resist him," said Gumball, waiting to signal his brother.

"You're teaching me to neglect my new sibling?" asked Jake, a bit annoyed.

"Well, yes. I mean no, not necessarily. I'm just trying to teach you how to tune thing out when you have more important things going on," said Gumball, quick on his feet.

"Alright, I'm ready, do your thing, Darwin," said Jake, preparing himself.

Darwin's eyes shifted from their usual appearance to a mesmerizing state that made Jake feel uneasy. Jake's vision began to swim in and out, and his limbs began to feel like heavy weights against his body. The coyote's mind seemed to be entranced by the white and black swirls and he had a difficult time not staring back.

"By your command?" said Jake, hesitantly struggling to shake off the heavy feeling.

"Walk across the street and back," commanded Darwin, as Jake walked in a stiff manner in a mindless manner his arms outstretched.

"How do you think he's doing?" asked Gumball, observing Jake carefully as he walked across the silent street.

"He's got determination. At least he tried to resist," Darwin replied.

Unfortunately for the entranced Jake, the stop lights shifted to green and before the coyote knew what was going on, the front end of a silver sedan collided against his chest. The driver of the car was shocked to discover that the coyote was holding onto her hood and panicked, screaming and swerving around, trying to get the coyote off of her car.

"Lady!" Jake yelled, panicking.

The driver was in too much of panic to take her foot off the gas and Jake felt his grip slipping, scratching the surface of the hood.

"Not good," said Jake. His grip gave out suddenly and he tumbled underneath the car. The dusty brown coyote tried to shield himself from getting run over as best as he could and still felt a few of the tires graze his body.

He looked upside down from the gritty road to see her car straighten out and drive off without a second thought. As Jake lifted his upper body off the pavement he saw a white Cadillac speeding towards him.

"No, not again..." said Jake, feebly placing his arm in front of himself, hoping that the car wouldn't hit him and closing his eyes tightly. The car's brakes screeched to a halt, stopping inches away from Jake. The coyote gradually opened one eye and sighed in relief. The driver's side door opened and an elderly puppet stepped out.

"What the heck, kid!? Are you alright?" asked Mr. Robinson, looking at the battered coyote.

"I... think so," stammered Jake, still shaken by the experience. "I thought you'd be angry at the fact I could have put a dent your Cadillac with my head."

"Well, what were you thinking!?" yelled Mr. Robinson, his face turning a shade of violet.

"I'd say it would be because I wasn't thinking at all," said Jake sheepishly, clambering up and gripping his arm gingerly.

"Have you been taking cues from Gumball or something?" asked Mr. Robinson, scoffing at this.

"You could say that," said the coyote, peering over to see Gumball and Darwin rushing over.

"Hey Jake, that looked like a rough ride are you alright?" asked Gumball, looking at the tire tracks that were across Jake's face.

"Well, being a hood ornament wasn't necessarily fun," replied Jake bitterly, shaking off the pain. "Though excuse me if I'm not, you know, jumping up and down with excitement at the prospect of almost becoming roadkill."

This warranted a few chuckles from Mr. Robinson. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

"We won't, and can we do something that doesn't put me harm's way again? My mom would be angry if I end up in the hospital," said Jake, wincing.

"You got it, we won't do anything like that again," stammered Darwin.

"You know you'd be a bit bruised up. You sure you're going to be alright?" asked Gumball.

"Well, I don't look forward to anything else on the agenda," smirked Jake, weakly. "Besides it's nothing a few ice packs can't fix."

"Good luck kid, you're going to need it," said Mr. Robinson, shaking his head as he headed back to his car. And Jake could have sworn he muttered under his breath: 'Stupid kid' in amusement.

"Well, what brilliant plans do you have now?" asked Jake, trying to rub the dirt and grime off his fur.

"You should rest for a bit first," said Gumball, placing his paw on his shoulder and forcing him to sit down on the grass.

"How'd I end up in a crazy town?" asked Jake, laughing to himself.

"I think you'll fit right in with your foolhardy courage," said Gumball, grinning at him.

"I'm not really the reckless type, but I guess I see your point," said Jake, taking off his backpack and using it as a pillow as he rested against the ground.

"The year is just starting up," said Gumball, leaning back and staring up at the clouds. "I miss the dog days of summer where I could sit back, relax and do nothing..."

"I do miss the summers in Winslow. Summer barbecues, ice cream, ah those were the days. How's summer in Elmore?" asked Jake, getting on his side and listening to what Gumball had to say.

"Swimming has always been a big thing. You should join us sometime! we could have a pool party, or we could go to the beach," said Darwin.

Before Jake could answer about how he thought going to the beach was a bad idea, Gumball interrupted. "Didn't we go to the beach last summer?"

"Yeah, I'm not a fan of the beach," said Jake, shrugging. "What now, boss?"

"Well, I think we have a few things for you. I know you weren't thrilled about the last two, but I'm sure you'll like this one," said Gumball, getting up and yawning.

* * *

"And how is this suppose to teach me anything? I thought I was trying to become a better brother," said Jake, trying to balance his handstand, while Darwin was perched on his left foot.

"Do or do not, there is no try," snapped Gumball, as he observed Jake. "There is always a practical way to go about things, but you must learn to act without thinking."

"Doesn't that just complicate things?" asked Jake, struggling to support his own and Darwin's weight.

"You forget, this is Elmore. Things aren't always what they seem," said Gumball. "Which reminds me, do you trust me?"

"Depends on what you have in mind," answered Jake, stopping himself from wobbling by placing his paws firmly in the dirt.

"Trust me, sometimes you just have to rely on instinct," said Gumball, walking around and tying a black piece of cloth over Jake's eyes.

"If you ask me, this does seem a bit far-fetched," said Jake, trying to loosen the blindfold. Jake almost fell over at this as he shook unsteadily.

"You must learn how to cope with many challenges at once," said Gumball, grinning, thankful Jake couldn't see him.

"Alright, Sensei." Jake played it cool as he strained his body. "But this is just ridiculous."

"Look out!" yelled Darwin, as Jake finally lost his balance and the two fell over like a house of cards. Jake tumbled backward and felt his skull bang into a rock. His eardrum rung like a bell as he felt the back of his skull for any bruises.

"Oof!" sounded Gumball as Darwin fell on top of him. "I'm okay, Darwin, can you get off of me?"

"What an incredible waste of time," said Jake, tearing the blindfold from his face. "Shouldn't we do something more productive with our time than this?"

"Sorry, everything didn't work out, Jake. We were trying to help, but maybe we're both not great older brothers after all," Gumball sighed.

"Gumball, you tried to help me the best you could, and I'm grateful for that. You may have failed, but that doesn't mean that you are a bad brother," said Jake, sympathetically. "This isn't going to be something I can't prepare for. All I can do is hope for the best. Even if it means a lot of sleepless nights worrying about it."

"When you put it that way, it seems like you have to go through a lot on your own," said Darwin.

"I'm an only child. I've been on my own for a long time, but hey, the old and the new I guess," said Jake, drawing his stuff up from the ground. "Come on, you kept your side of the bargain, I'll keep mine."

* * *

Gumball slurped down on his chocolate milkshake at an alarming rate, warranting Jake and Darwin to give him looks.

"Dude, enjoy it, don't inhale it," said Darwin, as Gumball continued to consume it.

"Keep it up and you're going to get a serious brain-freeze," Jake warned him. The blue cat suddenly clutched his temples in pain. "I'd hate to say it, but I told you so."

"Jake, Darwin? Please help, I'm in agony," said Gumball, his teeth chattering from the frozen treat.

"Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth, that should help," responded Jake, as he reclined back in the booth.

"Brain freeze subsiding! Whew, thanks," said Gumball, immediately going back to his chocolate shake.

"Are you going to eat anything, Jake?" asked Darwin, pointing at the vast amount of food at their table.

"I might grab something later, but for now I'm good," Jake replied, looking out the window into the mostly vacant parking lot. "Gumball, have you got the time?"

"It's about five o'clock," answered Gumball, checking his watch.

"I don't know about you, but I ought to be heading out soon," said Jake, grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. He grabbed a hamburger wrapped up in its paper.

"You're probably right about that," muttered Gumball, as he grabbed his things as well.

Jake was sure to leave a nice tip at the table. As he walked past Larry, who was manning the cash register, he noticed the cashier's appalled look at the state of their table.

"Sorry about the mess, Larry," Jake said with a grimace, as he shuffled out of Joyful Burger.

"You left a tip, right?" asked Gumball. "And can we get a ride back home?"

"Don't you guys have a cell phone to call your dad?" asked Jake, perplexed.

"As you have yet to learn, our dad isn't the safest driver," admitted Gumball with a sigh.

"So, does he treasure life in the fast lane?" asked Jake.

"He's really reckless, plus I got a radiation burn from last time when I constantly used our cell phone," said Darwin, nervously.

"Okay, I see your point. You can catch a ride back with me since I'm sure my mom will have no problem with it," said Jake. Suddenly, a clattering noise sounded from the alley, frightening both Gumball and Darwin, but intriguing the young coyote.

"What was that?" asked Darwin, peeking out from behind Gumball's back.

"I don't know, but something is definitely going on. Wait here, I want to go check it out," said Jake determinedly. He slapped Gumball's paw away from grabbing him, mounting the rusty chain-link fence and dropped down into the alleyway. The steam from some of the vents from Joyful Burger added to the eerie feeling as Jake scoped the area out, looking for anyone or anything. He once again heard the clattering noise and he ventured further into the alley.

Jake noticed a white and black tail and legs sticking out of a garbage can as the small youth continued to bury themselves further and further into the bin.

"Hey there, little guy," said Jake to get the skunk's attention, and the little critter was fast on their feet, leaping out to face Jake and glaring threateningly at the coyote.

The skunk was a little boy no older than six or seven, wearing a backward grimy baseball cap, an old baggy t-shirt, and scraped up shorts. Jake decide to play things safe and kept his distance as the little boy's heart was beating up and down in fear.

"Hey little one, are you hungry?" asked Jake, holding out the wrapped up hamburger out for the little kid. The kid nodded in response, drawing closer to Jake and sniffing the burger suspiciously.

"Go ahead," Jake said, and the skunk snatched the wrapped up burger. He started to devour it, paper and all, nibbling on it with his small sharp teeth. Jake uncertainly patted him on the head. "It's okay, little guy."

Jake heard some more clattering and both his and the little boy's attention were drawn. The skunk saw no reason to stick around and bit Jake hard in the finger, causing more shock to him than actual pain.

"Hey little guy, wait a minute," pleaded Jake, but he couldn't find him anywhere from where he was.

"Hey Jake, what are doing?" asked Gumball, looking at Jake from where he was squatting down.

"Nothing," said Jake, still hoping to find the skunk somewhere down the alley.

"Then what are we sticking around here for? We have to get moving," said Gumball, walking over to the fence and scaling it.

Jake peered back into the alleyway and saw a pair of luminous eyes staring back from the darkness before they too disappeared.

Brooke's small red Chevy station wagon stopped and she opened up her door and stepped out, giving her son a large hug.

"Hey Snuffles," whispered Brooke in her son's ear, making sure neither of the Watterson's could hear them.

"Gumball and Darwin, this is my mom. Be nice to her; she sort of runs things in our household," said Jake.

"Is that just what your father tells you so you won't bug him?" teased Brooke, running her paws through his hair. "So, you're the Watterson brothers? I've heard so many things about you two, all of it good. You must have made a lasting impression on my son."

Well..." stammered Gumball embarrassedly, rubbing his foot side to side. "He probably exaggerated a bit."

"Modest too," said Brooke, smiling. "Your parents must be so proud to have such fine boys. Jake told me you two need a ride. Hop right in, I'll get you back in a jiffy!"

Jake smiled at the ground, thankful his mom and the Wattersons had hit it off and that they were having no trouble at all.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and stay tuned in for the next chapter. Anyways, tell me what you think about the chapter. Once again my beta reader was a great help and she's helped give me a few ideas in addition.**

 **Next Chapter: The Rivals**

 _ **A new arrival at Elmore Junior High prompts Jake to try and befriend them. For the coyote, he might get more than he bargained for as they new arrival doesn't seem like the friendly type.**_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **-As you might tell the 'other guy' Gumball refers to is indeed Zach from the actual show, it is also a casual reference to a certain superhero.**

 **-I wanted to show Jake's more caring and friendly side in this chapter as he made friends with the orphan, whether this orphan might appear in later chapters is yet to be determined.**

 **-Plus, there's an obvious Star Wars reference in there, what? I'm a huge geek. ^^**

 **-As for the new character in the next chapter he might play a large role in some chapters.**

 **-Also, if you want an OC to appear in the story leave a comment or PM me about their character and I'll see if I can work them into the story somehow.**

 **Anyways, that's it for now. Nomad going silent.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Rivals

**Hello, Nomad here with another chapter of The Outsider. It took me a little bit longer to write this chapter than usual, still, I hope it was worth the wait for you guys and gals. Once again, you can leave a review or PM me and tell me what you think of the chapter. Also as a way of saying thank you to my beta reader, I thought it would be nice to have her input in the Author's Notes as well. Anyways thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 7: The Rivals

It was just another average school morning for the dusty brown coyote. The hallways were mostly quiet since almost all of the kids were already in their respective classes with the exception of a few stragglers. Jake was heading to his locker to get a few things before class began. He fixed his bandana as he turned the corner and ran into a large, solid mass. He fell backward onto the hallway floor, startled by what he had just collided with.

"Good morning Hector," said Jake, lifting up the books he had dropped and gathering them underneath his arm. He had to look up, as he expected to see the friendly fur-covered face of the giant that barely fit inside Elmore Junior High. Instead, he saw someone else, with a not too friendly look to him.

The charcoal gray wolverine was about a foot taller than Jake. His cold eyes inspected Jake as if he was merely an obstacle that was in his way and gave the impression of disdain. The wolverine's snout was heavily scarred on the right side, giving the impression he had gotten into plenty of fights before. His clothes were slightly tattered, having a few small holes and scratch marks on them. He was wearing a pair of green cargo pants and a solid black t-shirt with a black and silver trimmed jacket. The new arrival scoffed and didn't bother helping the coyote up as he pushed off the ground.

"Sorry about that, I don't believe we've met. I'm Jake Wiley, and you are?" Jake asked, drawing out his paw to greet the new arrival.

The wolverine looked down at Jake's paw for a second, uninterested, and started heading down the hallway without a single word.

"So, I'll take that as an: I'm new here?" Jake persisted and followed the wolverine, who still gave no response.

"Okay silent type, I get that," said Jake friendlily, hoping to encourage the wolverine. With no response, the coyote fell silent as he followed the wolverine towards Miss Simian's class.

Just a few feet from the doorway, Tina and her gang were shaking down a pitiful Tobias for money. The wolverine paused as if he had a keen interest in what was happening. Jake knew this was not a good sign as he tugged urgently on the wolverine's sleeve, who ignored it. As the shakedown of Tobias ended, Tina and Jamie scanned the hallway for other 'contributions' they could receive.

"Hey look, what's the runt doing with the new kid?" asked Jamie, noticing the two standing there. "What's the matter? Are you both so clueless you don't understand what's going on? Wallets out, we want our cut."

"Jamie, I'm not sure that this is a bright idea," said Jake, looking over at the wolverine. He was now grinning as his paws curled into fists as if welcoming the prospect of a fight. This didn't deter Jamie who frowned and started poking Jake in the chest.

"You listen here and you listen good- ah!" screamed Jamie as the wolverine grabbed her by the head with one arm and watched, amused, as the hybrid swung wildly. "Put me down!"

The wolverine complied, but not in the manner Jamie had anticipated. He tossed the hybrid of an ox and a lion into the wall. Upon getting up, Jamie backed off, fearful of the wolverine, who grinned and gave a small salute of sorts. The loud crash caught the attention of Tina, whose eyes narrowed as she approached them.

"So, you think you can push us around, huh?" she growled as she used her tail to swipe their legs out from under them. She roared in anger causing the ground to shake and Jake shivered in fear.

Despite this Jake managed to recover quickly, getting up from the ground in a flash. The wolverine recovered just as fast, taking the t-rex head on. He started swinging punches that staggered the t-rex, even going so far to headbutt her.

"You dare?!" growled Tina, as the wolverine silently beckoned her to bring it on. "That's it!"

Tina charged, roaring at the wolverine, who waited for the the last second to act, ramming her hard with a blow to her leg. She almost toppled over and lost ground as the wolverine renewed his assault on the t-rex. He seemed to be faster and could easily match Tina's strength blow for blow.

However, Tina managed to pin her foot on top of the wolverine. His arms strained as he held up the tremendous amount of force being put on him. Slowly, he shifted the odds in his favor as he pushed back and used Tina's lack of balance to his favor. With one large heave, he toppled the t-rex onto her side, and unfortunately on top of Jamie, who was trying to back away.

"Ah, get off!" screamed Jamie desperately as the t-rex struggled to get back up.

Jake ran over and looked at the wolverine. As far as he could tell, the new kid was perfectly fine and was lightly panting from the whole ordeal. He glanced at Anton and the piece of toast fled the scene without looking back.

"Amateurs," growled the wolverine in a gravelly voice, as he dusted off his paws against the legs of his pants. "They're nothing but a bunch of idiots."

"Uh, you might be taking steps in the wrong direction if you want to get along with people here," interrupted Jake, causing the wolverine to turn around and finally acknowledged his presence. His eyes scanned the coyote and he snorted at this.

"Listen, chump, I don't have time for your games," snarled the wolverine as he drew his face closer to Jake's, baring his teeth.

"It seems you could use a friend, so I could show you around and give you some tips. What do you say... pal?" asked Jake, hoping to sound sincere to the wolverine.

For a brief second it seemed like the wolverine wanted to accept the offer, his glare evaporating. But his anger returned as quickly as it had disappeared, and Jake found himself pinned against the wall, his feet dangling in the air as the wolverine held him in place with one arm.

"Listen punk, I don't need your sympathy. Now shove off," said the wolverine, releasing him and letting him fall to the ground.

As Jake got up from the ground, he didn't even have a second to react before the wolverine threw a punch right at him. The sudden impact caused Jake's head to spin.

"Ouch!" yelped Jake, his brain fuzzy as he tried to shake off the pain.

It was too late, as the wolverine was already throwing punches at him. All he could do was shield the majority of his body as the wolverine proceeded to pummel him. Jake's mind cleared and he dodged underneath the wolverine's heavy swing at his head. Jake responded by using his whole body to shove the wolverine. This didn't work to his advantage as the wolverine hardly moved, and he brought his elbow down and hit the small coyote in the back. Jake flopped to the floor and lay still, as he groaned with pain.

"Ow," said the coyote simply, as the wolverine drew him up from the floor by the hair on his head and brought him to eye level. "So, is this how you usually talk to people?"

The wolverine seemed to disregard the humorous statement and grabbed Jake's jaw, crushing it with his powerful grip. He threw the coyote's head against the ground, causing Jake's head to throb in pain as he stumbled to get up.

* * *

"What do you think is keeping Jake so long?" asked Gumball, looking at Darwin.

"He said he had to grab a few things from his locker," said Darwin. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's just taking his sweet time."

"I sure hope so," said Gumball. He turned as he saw the door creak open; a bruised Jake entered the room, leaning up against the doorway heavily. His forehead was heavily bruised and had several scratches across it. The coyote nearly fell over and had trouble standing as he rubbed his irritated shoulder.

"Jake, you look like crap! What happened?" Gumball asked.

"It's nothing too serious, just some new bruises," said Jake, almost collapsing into his chair.

"Was it Tina that did this to you?" asked Darwin.

"No, it was someone else; someone new here," said Jake, searching around the classroom for the wolverine.

"Do you mean him?" asked Gumball, pointing towards the back of the room, where the wolverine was sitting, his feet on top of the desk.

"That's the one," said Jake, with an expression of deep hatred.

"I'm guessing both of you didn't get off to a good start. What trouble did you cause this time Jake?" asked Gumball, humorously.

"I didn't do anything!" Jake exclaimed so loudly the whole class could hear him.

Most of the classed stared at Jake from this sudden outburst, and Miss Simian looked up from grading her papers to see what was amiss. She gave him curious look from behind her desk. "What's the matter, Mr. Wiley?"

Jake immediately propped open his books on his desk, hiding his face, not wanting his classmates to be wondering what was going. A mixture of fear and anger boiled inside of Jake as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

News of the new arrival at Elmore Junior High spread like wildfire as well as news of the incident in the hallway. Before Jake knew what was happening, he had swarms of people around his locker, asking for details of what had gone down and a few voicing concern for him.

"Jake, you look terrible, are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse's office?" asked Penny, as she and her group of friends crowded around him.

"I've been worse for the wear before Penny," Jake replied, as he took his backpack off.

"How bad is it?" said Penny, as Jake responded with raised eyebrows.

"Heck, I was always ugly. If I just slapped some face paint on, I bet no one would even notice. Besides I thought you'd have all kinds of experience with personal injury, since Gumball is your boyfriend," Jake said snarkily, straightening out his disheveled appearance and rubbing the back of his neck.

"That is true. You should be more careful, though," said Penny, looking at her various friends as they nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I've been hearing that since day one," Jake said, remembering his first day and shaking his head. "I'm sure I'll be able to straighten things out."

"Speaking of straightening things out," said Penny, curiously, "have you got a date for the Fall Semi-Formal?"

"I haven't really given it much attention," said Jake, as he turned back to face his locker and rearranged the heaps of paper in it. "I'm not really the kind of person who dances."

"That's alright Jake, but you should go. I'm sure you'll have a blast," said Penny. "I hope to see you there."

"Well, I'll probably be just standing around the punch bowl if I actually go," Jake sighed, due to Penny's persistence. "But if you insist, I'll show up for the boring thing. I don't really see the point, though."

"So do you actually remember what happened in the hallway?" asked Masami.

"Yeah, the new kid proceeded to wipe the floor with me," Jake replied, not too thrilled at recounting the memory. "Is this supposed to help?"

"I was wondering if I could be helpful," Masami explained. "You said he's a wolverine? I don't think I know any of his kind in Elmore and believe me, I know a lot of people."

"Thanks for trying to help out, Masami," said Jake, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm sure this wildcard will poke his head out soon again."

"Just try not to get in his way again. We'd hate to see you end up in the hospital," said Penny. "I'll see you at the cafe, Jake."

Jake nodded and one by one they each left, heading for the cafe, leaving Jake in the vacant hallway as he organized the last of his stuff.

"That should do it," said Jake, shoving his locker closed as the contents almost fell out of it.

* * *

Jake arrived at lunch, finding a spot to the left of Gumball and Darwin, who were busy conversing with Anais about their homework. The coyote slid into his seat and dug into his lunch, sinking his teeth into his burger and happily munching on it.

"So what did I miss?" Jake asked between mouthfuls.

"Nothing much, how are you holding up?" asked Gumball. Jake shrugged.

"As good as I could be given the circumstances," Jake replied, rubbing the small bruise on his head. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It's just some Earth Science problems," answered Darwin, handing the sheet over to the coyote, who inspected it carefully.

"It's fairly straightforward," said Jake, staring at it. "That would be the Ordovician period."

"Nerd!" Gumball exclaimed, shaking his head. "That's what Anais was telling us the whole time."

"Whenever I try to give you advice or the means to an answer you both ignore me," said Anais frustratedly, crossing her arms.

"Well, that's what they do best," said Jake, cracking up.

"Hey!" said Gumball. "It's not my fault, I'm not a great listener. Besides most of your convoluted solutions are a bit over my head. So I try something different."

"Tell that to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of property damage you've caused," scoffed Anais, prompting a glare from Gumball.

"I am trying to fix my problems," said Gumball, indignantly.

"Even if it is not the most logically sound solution," said Darwin, joining in.

"Okay, I get the point, can't we just focus on something else?" said Gumball, sighing.

"What's new with your family, Gumball?" asked Jake, eager to hear what he had to say.

"You know same old, same old. I think Anais received another scholarship or something. I was planning on going on another date with Penny..." said the blue cat, hesitating at this turning a light shade of red.

"So I see," said Jake, ruffling his own fur. "What about you, Darwin?"

"I've been teaching swimming to a few new members of the synchronized swimming team. If you want to come by and join us you're certainly welcome to Jake," said Darwin. "Besides that, I was thinking of trying out for the track team and asking a certain girl out to the prom."

"Yeah, swimming? I haven't really worked on my swimming skills in a while," said Jake, sheepishly. "I might stop by if I've got the time."

"Do you need any help in getting up to speed with your technique?" asked Darwin, eager to help.

"Actually forget about it, I forgot I have to help my dad with a few things," said Jake, remembering what was going on.

"And that is?" asked Anais, as Jake spaced out for a moment.

"Rearranging the house to make room for the newest member of the Wiley family," responded Jake, his mood lightening as he remembered.

"Newest member? Does that means your mom is pregnant?" asked Anais, shocked at the news.

"Yeah, so it's a great news and all, but can you imagine me being an older brother?" said Jake, smirking and stroking his chin at this.

"I think you'll make a great older brother, Jake, but you might need a little advice," said Anais. "To be honest, your new sibling will be lucky to have you."

"That was uplifting," commented Jake, smiling, feeling a sense of pride in his chest. "Still, I've told a few close friends, but the news is still shocking."

With that, Jake fixed his sleeves and continued to chow down on his meal. The peace of mind was nice, despite how crazy the town of Elmore was. The young coyote stood up and walked over to the trash can, discarding the contents before turning around.

'This town isn't all bad, it's just wild,' he thought to himself as he stacked his tray on top of the counter. He turned to his right, glimpsing someone to his side and found the wolverine, a sickening smile on his face.

"Small world," he said growling. "You're faring better than our last encounter, runt. Resilient, aren't you?"

"What do you want?" Jake asked, drawing himself backward this time as a precaution. The charcoal wolverine didn't respond, instead choosing to study him as if he wanted to see if Jake would cause another outburst from his presence.

"Alright, what's your problem? I didn't do anything to you," said Jake, looking him in the eye and readying himself for a fight.

"Hey Jake, let's go," said a voice, as its owner tugged on his shirt.

It was Anais, who was patiently staring back at him and beckoning back to the table. Jake nodded and walked away, glaring at the wolverine. "Thanks, Anais. Who is that guy?"

"I was looking through the school transcripts today, and apparently his name is Randal Locke. There was hardly anything on him. The only other piece of information I could find was the last place he went to school to, which was Elmore's Boarding School For Troubled Youths," answered Anais, looking concerned as wolverine went back to his seat.

"That explains a lot," said Jake scornfully, as he continued to glare at Randal. "And did you hack the school files to do that?"

"Well, I sort of peeked at them," admitted Anais. "Information and knowledge are my business."

"So, why does Randal despise me so much if we just met?" asked Jake, looking for an answer.

"It beats me," said Anais, stumped.

"And you usually have all the answers," responded Jake. "Anyways, he's not worth it. Come on."

Anais almost voiced concern, but Jake growled and stomped off, ignoring her completely. "Jake..."

Jake's cold demeanor didn't change for the rest of the day. The coyote was simply too busy trying to avoid the dreaded wolverine for the rest of the day. The last bell resonated through the hallway, signaling the end of another period.

"Jake, could you help me with this," asked Gumball, hoping to get the coyote's mind off of the wolverine. Jake grumbled back a response and turned his attention to Gumball.

"So, Jake, want to talk about anything?" Gumball asked as the coyote helped hold the contents of Gumball's locker in place.

"Go ahead," said Jake unenthusiastically. He scanned the hallway for the wolverine, his head on a swivel for even a trace of him.

"Jake, I've had rivalries in the past," Gumball began, "especially with Tobias. Mainly because of Penny, but that's beside the point. Just try to keep your nose clean; it's not worth starting a war over trivial matters."

"I suppose that makes sense. Still, I just hope we don't see him again," said Jake, as they headed to their last class. "Not again!"

The t-rex and hybrid had glares on their faces and started to approach him. "Okay, start talking."

"I don't know the guy," said Jake, backing down the hallway. "Gumball, I think you should get going, I think things are going to get a bit messy."

Gumball looked at him for a second, considering staying by his friend's side. Jake nodded to him to go and he went on his way.

"I'll catch up, Gumball," said Jake defensively, turning to Tina. "Let me explain."

"No need," growled Tina. "We know he's not a friend of yours. We were planning to include you in a little chance of payback."

"Who, me? You got the wrong guy for the job," said Jake. "I don't get myself involved in revenge schemes."

"Like or not, we think he needs a taste of his own medicine," said Jamie, cracking her knuckles.

"Well, good luck with that. If I know anything is that he is going to have a ball with this," said Jake. He began straying away to Mr. Small's classroom. "Maybe it's best if you just forget about it."

The t-rex and hybrid looked at each other. Tina just shook her head. "It's not worth if we get another detention or suspension for this. Besides the runt may be right, he's not worth the trouble."

With that, Tina and Jamie headed into the classroom. Jake let out a sigh of relief; at least he wasn't going to be caught in between a ferocious battle of the titans. The coyote just smoothed out his clothes as he inched towards Mr. Small's room.

* * *

Randal Locke found the hallways of Elmore Junior High confining, as he strode through the hallway. His bitter demeanor was one of the only things that could be used to describe him. He noticed the smaller coyote trying to act normal as he tried to slip into the classroom. _'Too easy, he's spineless.'_

As Jake tried to enter Mr. Small's classroom, something caught him by the backpack. His feet fought frantically, trying to touch the ground again as an invisible force held him back.

"Hello Randal," answered Jake, trying to catch the wolverine off guard.

"You know who I am," said Randal, releasing his pack. "So tell me coyote, what's the hurry?"

"I just don't want to be broken, battered, and bruised again," said Jake, looking up at Randal and concealing his fear. "Anyways, what's new 'pal'?"

The wolverine's eyes narrowed at the subject. The coyote knew this was a bad sign, but he held his ground not budging or flinching.

 _'If he wants to play mind games, I can oblige,'_ thought Jake, as the wolverine let out a low snarl, while Jake continued to hold his ground.

Randal broke the stalemate as he fell back slightly. "You've got nerve, kid, I'll give you that much."

"You don't scare me, Randal," said Jake rigidly.

"Is that so?" said Randal coldly. "You haven't lived this town as long as I have, kid. When things go awry, we'll see."

"You sure will, and when you see me overcome every obstacle, you'll be the first to know," said Jake, coolly confident. The wolverine laughed, a grim smile on his face.

"I guess we will, kid," Randal sneered, with nothing but utter disdain for the young coyote. He pushed past Jake and headed into the classroom, running his paws through his crew cut.

 _'This has been one lousy day,'_ thought Jake as he entered the classroom. He knew that despite the fact he had met a new student, he was caught in a dangerous game with a seemingly petty rival which was more likely to cause more problems for his new life in Elmore.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of The Outsider. Once again if you are interested I am taking OCs or character ideas in my story so PM me or leave a comment and I'll try to do what I can if you want to see them in The Outsider. Thanks once again! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Fright**

 _ **With Halloween around the corner, Carrie invites Gumball, Darwin, and Jake to a party at an old museum. However are things all that they seem?**_

 **Author's Notes (Now featuring my beta reader's notes ^^):**

 **Hi! Timey here. I'm Nomad's beta reader, and he has graciously offered me a chance to add my thoughts to each new chapter's A/Ns. First of all, it's always a fun beta-ing session with The Outsider. I'm very glad to be able to take part in beta-ing and reading this story. I think Jake is a well developed and interesting OC, with a knack for getting into silly situations. That being said, Randal did frustrate me several times during this particular chapter, for reasons you will soon find out yourself. However, don't judge him too harshly. There's more to him than you think. ;)**

 **-As Timey said Randal is a complex character and I had a lot of fun writing his character as he tested Jake. I would also imagine Troy Baker voicing him who would do a great job bringing the character into the story.**

 **-As for Randal, I chose that he'd be a wolverine as they are considered one of the toughest animals in the wild for good reason. He's also slightly older than Jake, making him tougher and stronger.**

 **-Originally Jake and Randal were going to have a rematch at the end of the chapter but I figured it would be better to see their personalities clash. Besides, there will be every opportunity for a rematch in the future...**


	8. Chapter 8: The Fright

**Hey, Nomad here after another long hiatus. Sorry about the wait, I've been a bit busy. And wow, over fifty reviews, you guys, and gals are the best. Anyways tell me what you think, I'd appreciate it very much and I hope you enjoy this chapter. But I've talked enough, let's get into this chapter.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 8: The Fright

The cold and feeble glare from the autumn sun greeted Jake as he walked outside from Elmore Junior High. He took in the sights as Gumball and Darwin complained about the course material. The coyote cautiously walked down the stairs, testing his foot for any small ice patches hidden underneath the dense layer of brown crumpled leaves. The crackle of leaves was multiplied by the many students going down the stairs to get to their buses or start the journey home.

"I'm just saying, would it be so bad if Miss Simian taught us anything before springing a pop quiz on us?" said Gumball irritatedly as he rushed down the stairs.

"Well, at least we get to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. It sure is a great day to be alive," said Darwin cheerily, stooping over to tie his shoes. "Nothing beats the sight of the leaves changing color in autumn."

"I guess you have a point. Still, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that class till tomorrow," said Gumball, shielding his eyes from the sun and fixing his sweater. "In the meantime, I'd be happy with kicking back and playing some video games instead of going on another crazy adventure."

"You're being awfully quiet Jake, what's wrong?" asked Darwin, as Jake spent his time looking at the horizon.

As Jake opened his mouth, a bright white flash appeared and a startling crack sounded as a certain ghost girl teleported in front of them. The coyote was surprised by her sudden appearance and staggered backward.

"Relax scaredy cat. You too, Gumball and Darwin," said Carrie with a chuckle.

"Hello, Carrie. You're in a good mood," said Gumball, as the ghost floated over to where he was standing.

"Who couldn't be psyched for the party this evening?" Carrie exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air in triumph.

The brothers exchanged looks, as if eager to attend such an event. Jake was more skeptically running one of his paws through his messy hair.

"Well, of course, you two are invited; plus you should bring the coyote along as well," said Carrie with a grin while Jake shook his head fervently.

"Yeah, I'm sure Jake will be thrilled," said Gumball, as Jake rolled his eyes. "Does meeting up at eight sound good?"

"Sure, I look forward to seeing you guys there." Carrie smiled, blushing a bit, before teleporting away in a flash of white light.

"What was all that about?" asked Jake, suspicious of Carrie's behavior.

"Something seems off to you Jake?" said Gumball, crossing his arms. "Because you just seem paranoid to me."

"It's nothing like that! This just seems a bit shady to me," said Jake. "If it means that much to you that I come, I'll go along. You don't mind if I grab my proton pack first?"

"Believe me, you can trust Carrie," said Gumball. "Just ask Darwin. Darwin?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, we've known Carrie a long time. The last time we had a party it was a bit crazy, though," said Darwin, a bit unfocused.

Gumball glanced at Jake, looking confused about Darwin's behavior. The coyote responded with a simple shrug. "I'll see you at the party then."

Jake pulled his bandana around his nose to stop the cold from biting it as he left the pleasant temperature of his house. 'I could use a jacket at this time of the year.'

As Jake walked down the sidewalk, the orange gleam of the streetlights guiding him to his destination. The dead silence of the street was only broken by the sound of cars zooming by the coyote or by creaking sound of tree branches as they swayed in the wind. The different appearance of the night in Elmore was a bit unsettling as the coyote headed towards the Wattersons' residence.

* * *

As Jake neared the familiar blue house he noticed a figure sitting on the steps of a nearby house shrouded in darkness his paws on his knees. The figure stood up upon noticing Jake.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, kid?" asked the wolverine snidely, causing Jake to stop in his tracks.

"Not quite, I'm just going for a quiet walk," said Jake, taking his paws out of his pockets. "I'm sure your parents could use your company."

Randal turned and looked inside at the lights on inside. "Them? You obviously don't know what you're talking about, kid."

"Don't try to pull anything this time," said Jake, annoyed.

"Wouldn't dream of it, kiddo," Randal replied, walking up and flicking Jake in between the eyes with a mocking smile.

Jake ignored Randal's provocation and simply shook his head in a disappointed manner. The sound of multiple footsteps behind him signal was a good sign as he felt a paw tap him on the shoulder. "Hey Jake, I noticed something was holding you up. Do you need a hand?"

"Yeah, I was just having a chat with Randal here," said Jake angrily.

"Always a pleasure. Nice to see that the dirtbag has friends. You'll need them," said Randal menacingly, before backing off and letting the trio walk away.

"That's Randal? He's even uglier up close," said Gumball, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, don't get discouraged. I'm sure you'll be able to smooth things over," said Darwin, nervously looking back to see if Randal was still there.

"I don't think he's too keen to on making nice with me," said Jake, pulling the bandana down from around his face.

"I'm sure he'll come to his senses eventually, even if it is sooner rather than later," said Darwin, reassuringly.

"Enough about Randal though, aren't we supposed to meet Carrie?" Jake looked around for the ghost girl.

The was a large crack and Carrie appeared out of nowhere, causing them to stumble backward.

"You know Carrie, a little heads up would be nice next time," said Gumball, startled.

"Well, we need to rush over to the party. Take my hand," said Carrie, extending out her hand for the others to grab.

With a flash of light, Carrie teleported from the spot and Jake felt like his body was thrown into a whirl of madness as he appeared in a completely different part of town. This area was sparsely occupied as there were only a few houses on this block. A few creepy trees creaked in the wind and Jake scanned around for the party site, but Gumball was the first to notice.

"Elmore Museum? You're joking right?" said Gumball skeptically.

"I'm not kidding at all. Besides this is the place to party," Carrie exclaimed excitedly.

"This has to be a prank or something. Are we going to have paint splattered all over us or something, because last time we were taken aback by that," said Gumball, still nervous.

"Well, let's find out," said Jake, being the first to journey into the museum and looking around at the various exhibits. Jake noticed a sleeping night guard, his spectacles askew and his laptop placed precariously on the edge of his desk.

"I can see he's taking the night shift seriously," said Jake jokingly, walking backward casually before running into a display case. He turned around to see a fossilized baboon in it.

"Ah! Is that Miss Simian's dad?" asked the coyote, startled at the sight.

"Very funny. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, though," said Gumball, walking up to look at it.

"No, I'm serious, look." Jake blew the dust off of the display case's plaque, which read: Aldrich Simian.

"Okay, this place is a little weird," admitted Darwin, glancing at the glass. "Where do we go from here, Carrie?"

"It's on the second floor. Follow me," said Carrie, floating up through the ceiling and disappearing.

"You know it must be convenient for her to just phase through stuff," Jake scoffed as he started up the staircase. "Where exactly did she go?"

"I have no idea. Let's try the Hall of Arms and Armors," said Gumball, nodding to it.

Darwin nodded and followed his brother with Jake in tow. As they reached the front of the hall, two suits of medieval armor sprung to life, jumping off of their pedestals and crossing their halberds.

"Halt, who goes there!" shouted one suit of armor, her visor shifting up and down as she spoke.

"I think they're mortals, dear," said the other, in a very raspy voice.

"Uh, I just realized, it's way past curfew. Come on Darwin," Gumball laughed nervously, grabbing Darwin's fin and trying to walk away. However, the first suit of armor wouldn't have it and she swung her halberd through the air, shaving off several hairs from Gumball's head.

"Don't even think about it, knee-high," said the first, pointing the tip of her weapon at Gumball's chest. "You're not going anywhere now."

"What a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into," said Jake fearfully, as the other suit of armor picked him up by his shirt.

"What do you reckon we do with our new guests?" asked the suit as he brought Jake to what would be eye level.

"Run for it Darwin!" shouted Gumball and Darwin sprinted, but the second suit of armor stopped him by lowering his halberd right in front of him.

"Come with us, we'll sort things out," said the suit, beckoning for Darwin to head further into the museum.

"Ah! Watch where you point that thing," exclaimed Gumball, patting his back as one of the suits poked him in the back with the tip of her weapon.

"Speak when spoken to mortal," snapped the suit as she came to a halt.

"Don't take this too personally. She isn't fond of mortals as you flesh-bags often cause more trouble for us," said the armor, his visor clattering up and down as he spoke to Jake.

"Okay, then what are you and your friend exactly?" Jake whispered.

"I thought it was obvious! We're poltergeists; this museum is a sanctuary for ghosts, ghouls, and us poltergeists. Especially from the eye of you mortals, as this place isn't as traveled as it used to be," the poltergeist sighed.

"Interesting. I don't think we had any poltergeists in the town where I came from. Speaking of which, why don't we forget this whole silly incident occurred and let us slide, huh?" said Jake, slyly.

"I can't really do that. I think I should introduce myself: I'm Hugo and this is my wife, Eileen. I'm sorry if she's a little rough around the edges. We'll make sure you're treated fairly, but you mustn't travel outside this hall," said Hugo raspily, placing Jake carefully down on his feet before standing back at attention.

Before they knew what was happening, there was a large flash of light and Carrie materialized in front of them.

"Where have you guys been?" asked Carrie, eyeing the trio and then the two suits of armor. "Good evening Hugo; hello Eileen."

"We found these three skulking around the Hall of Arms and Armors. Do you know them?" asked Eileen, pulling the tip of her weapon away from Gumball.

"Skulking?!" said Gumball indignantly. Eileen smacked him on the back of his head with her gauntlet.

"I do. In fact, I wanted to bring them to the party," said Carrie sheepishly.

"You know the rules about mortals," said Eileen. "They aren't allowed at our parties."

"Care to explain what's going on then?" asked Jake, his head moving back and forth as the ghost and poltergeist talked.

"We're doing this for your own good, kids. Some of the ghosts here might give you a hard time, even more so if you're mortals," said Hugo regretfully, as he used his armored glove to pat Jake awkwardly on the head. However, it caused some discomfort to the coyote as it pounded against his head.

"I'll make sure the various ghosts don't try anything on them! I promise," said Carrie, trying to reassure the duo.

"Well, just be careful then," said Hugo, looking down at Jake. "You'll be careful, right tiny?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't sweat it. Good luck standing guard," said Jake, smiling back.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll just fall asleep standing up again," said Hugo, a bit groggily. "It's uncomfortable being stuck in this riveted and clunky contraption. I feel like I'm stuck in a bear trap."

"Shouldn't any annoyances phase right through you?" asked Darwin, looking at him.

"He just likes complaining," said Eileen. "Good luck mortals, just don't draw attention to yourselves. And remember, Carrie, they are not to go into the backroom."

"I've got it, ma'am," said Carrie, nodding politely.

The poltergeists then turned on their heels and went back down the hall. They took a sharp turn down another segment of hallway and disappeared.

"So, what's in this backroom? Is it anything interest?" asked Gumball, his ears perking up.

"Don't even think about it, it's restricted," said Carrie, crossing her arms.

"Really? I don't think that's ever stopped us, right Darwin?" asked Gumball with a grin.

"Well, I think Carrie would be right this time. We should just use this time to unwind," said Darwin.

"Now, take this. And remember this time: one drop ONLY," Carrie said seriously, handing Gumball a potion.

"Don't worry Carrie, I get the idea," said Gumball, pulling out the cork as a green mist hissed out of the bottle.

"Now this doesn't seem like a good idea..." said Jake, looking at the green substance.

"It's perfectly safe," said Gumball, taking a drop of the liquid.

"Just be cool, Jake," said Darwin, pouring a drop into his mouth and passing it to the coyote.

"Well, here we go," said Jake, quickly ingesting a drop of the mysterious liquid, causing him to cough slightly.

Everything had changed as Jake's eyes opened up; he could now see the various ghosts and ghouls and poltergeists inhabiting displays from various exhibits. The noise was deafening, and the halls were packed.

"Hello, coming right through," said Gumball, stepping past several ghosts and ghouls who seemed a bit suspicious of the blue cat as he stepped by, but didn't bother them. "Where to Carrie, I want to be the life of the party!"

"I'd hate to break it to you, but you can't really be the life of the party here when everyone is already undead," said Darwin, a bit critical of Gumball's statement.

"You get the point. Which way, Carrie?" Gumball asked.

"Just follow me and you'll be fine," said Carrie, leading them across the crowded hall. "Don't touch that."

"Sorry Carrie," said Darwin, drawing himself away from the samurai armor exhibit.

"It's alright Darwin," said Carrie, drawing closer to him. "Let's do something fun for a change."

"Are you coming, Jake?" asked Carrie, smiling.

"I'm usually one who's not brave enough on the dance floor," said Jake with a shrug. "But if you want to see how sloppy my moves are, I can oblige."

"That's the spirit," said Gumball, cracking up as Jake went onto the dance floor and showed off his ridiculous moves.

With that, Gumball, Carrie, and Darwin all joined in. The party was thrilling and each one of them was having the time of their lives as they celebrated.

"Wahoo!" said Gumball, sliding on his knees as he rocked to the tune of the song.

"I can see you're having a good time," said Darwin, observing his older brother.

The fun didn't last, however, as Gumball accidentally bumped into a pedestal supporting an urn. As it toppled off the pedestal, Jake tried to catch it, but it managed to slip just in between his fingertips and it shattered into tiny fragments on the floor. The entire party ceased at this, as they looked at the source of the commotion.

One ghost, particularly interested in what happened, reached Jake and examined him. She then reached her hand out and it phased right through him, causing a chilling sensation down his spine. "Mortals!"

"Oh no," said Carrie worriedly, as the various undead entities debated what they should do with the three mortals.

"I think I can come up with some fun solutions for them," said one particularly slimy ghoul, gnashing his pointy teeth together.

"We should just kick them out; they're just a pestilence anyways," said one ghost, rolling her eyes at the ghoul's comment.

"They should be held accountable for what they did," said a poltergeist who was inhabiting a samurai suit.

"Yeah, they broke the urn containing my ashes!" said one particularly aggravated ghost, and Gumball and Darwin nervously tried to sweep up the ashes of the angry ghost back towards the shattered urn.

'This isn't going to do us any good,' thought Jake frantically, as more ghosts, ghouls, and poltergeists got caught into the argument of what to do with them.

"It's time for us to fly," said Carrie, grabbing all three of them and attempting to teleport to no avail. "What the-"

The slimy ghoul had caught Carrie by the head and was yanking on her hair.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, cackling wildly. "What a pretty little face, and her three mortal friends! How interesting!"

Fortunately for the four friends, something smacked the ugly ghoul and sent him flying into the ectoplasm punch bowl. The armored frame of Eileen stood there, angered by the ghoul's behavior.

"Undisciplined jerk," she said furiously. "Oh, don't just stand there gawking, run!"

Jake ran furiously after Darwin and Carrie, who had a head start. Gumball was sprinting after them but tripped and collapsed painfully on the museum floor, skidding to a halt. The coyote noticed this, and he eyed Carrie and Darwin before deciding to double back for Gumball, helping him back on his feet. The blue cat promptly picked up the pace, sprinting down the hall before reaching a corridor. He and Jake hid in the brush in the animal exhibit as the various spirits rushed by.

"I think we lost them," said Gumball, still panting as Jake watched with bated breath to make sure no one else was coming.

"We're good. The question is where are Carrie and Darwin?" asked Jake, looking for the ghost girl and the goldfish. "Any idea where they went?"

"I thought you were following them?" said Gumball, annoyed at the fact Jake had stopped keeping an eye on them.

"I stopped keeping track of them when I went back to stop them from getting you," said Jake, sliding out from behind their hiding spot. "We can still find them, you coming Gumball?"

"Are you kidding? I'm right behind you," said Gumball eagerly, as he jumped out of the exhibit.

* * *

The pursuers were right on Carrie's and Darwin's tails as they rushed down the hallway.

"How do we shake them?!" asked Darwin frantically as he did a quick check on the disgruntled spirits pursuing them.

"Darwin, I need you to trust me," said Carrie hurriedly. "Grab my hand, Darwin."

"Carrie, I really don't think now is the time-" Darwin began, before being cut off.

"Just grab it!" Carrie exclaimed frustratedly.

Darwin complied and they phased right through the wall in front of them. They could hear the sounds of their pursuers disappearing, and they both sighed in relief.

"I think we lost them. Do you think they'll suspect that we're here?" asked Darwin, looking around them.

"I highly doubt it, they didn't notice anything as far as I can tell," said Carrie calmly. "Thank you for trusting me."

"You're welcome Carrie, that's what friends do," said Darwin, a bit sheepishly at this.

"Do you notice where Gumball and Jake went?" asked Carrie, a bit concerned.

"No, we must have left them behind," said Darwin, facepalming at this. "Come on, we've got to get to them!"

"I think our safest bet is to wait here and lie low for a time until the coast is clear," said Carrie, troubled as she hovered over to Darwin.

"I guess you have a point," Darwin sighed. He waited as Carrie placed her hand on his head and comforted him.

* * *

"Come on Jake, the coast is clear," said Gumball, sneaking along the corner. "I'm surprised we were able to give them the slip."

"We're not out of this yet Gumball," said Jake, checking his back. "We're not being tailed, so that's a good sign."

"It sure is, and I have a hunch that they went into the backroom Eileen mentioned," said Gumball, pulling Jake aside.

"Are you crazy? It's off limits," said Jake.

"Which means-" said Gumball, cleverly.

"That's the one place the party guests aren't going to search," said Jake, catching onto Gumball's reasoning. "Nicely done pal!"

"Agreed. Now let's find that backroom. The sooner that happens, the sooner we can all get out of this spooky place," said Gumball determinedly, signaling Jake to follow him.

The duo eventually came across the forbidden backroom. Jake couldn't help notice there were several warning signs plastered all over the door as if to be a bad omen. Gumball also hesitated a bit at this as well. The two nodded at each other and breached the door, both storming inside the room.

Only a sliver of light made it into the room, giving it a pale gray appearance. The contents of the room were strewn about and most of them were covered in shabby sheets that had been long forgotten. Without warning, the door behind them slammed shut on its own accord. Both Gumball and Jake were concerned by this.

"We shouldn't have come here," said Jake, creeped out by the cold, unsettling presence of the room itself. "They're not here, and we're stuck."

However, Gumball wasn't listening, as he drew closer to scratched and cracked mirror.

"This sort of reminds me of Vladus," said Gumball.

"Vladus?" asked Jake.

"Carrie's father. He used to be a tormented spirit trapped in the mirror world, but we freed him eventually. It just doesn't seem like a coincidence to me," said Gumball, putting his paw against the mirror's glass. "Ah!"

Jake stepped back as Gumball tried to pull away from the mirror, at least until he cracked up. "I'm only joking, Jake."

"Don't do that again," hissed Jake, annoyed at Gumball's prank.

Halfway through speaking, Jake stopped, noticing the strange table that was set up. Jake leaned his paw against the wood.

'It's just a simple table, nothing more' Jake thought to himself, but something nagging at the back of his mind told him otherwise. Upon closer inspection of the table, there were claw marks on the surface.

"What kind of place is this?" asked Jake, still creeped out.

"I have no idea, but whoever was here had serious problems," said Gumball, also looking at the table.

Then as Jake ran his paw over a strange looking coat of arms engraved on the table, he felt something. It was almost as if he felt the presence of someone else and Jake recoiled.

"We had to get out of here," said Jake, frightened.

"What's the matter?" asked Gumball, as Jake rushed and slammed into the door hoping for it to budge.

The panicked Jake didn't give a coherent answer as he kicked at the door focused on only getting out. Gumball sighed as he helped Jake reluctantly and the door eventually it gave way. The two hit the floor and whatever in the room let out a cry of anguish. The door slammed shut and the hallway felt silent.

"Let's agree to never go there again," said Gumball, panting.

"Agreed," said Jake, still startled by whatever was in the room. "Come on, we've got to find Carrie and Darwin."

"At least we can cross the backroom off of locations to check," said Gumball sarcastically.

With that, Jake and Gumball rushed off, hopeful that they'd be able to find their friends.

* * *

"How much further do think, Carrie?" said Darwin, following the ghost.

"Not that far, unless we find trouble," said Carrie.

"I want to thank you, Carrie," said Darwin with a smile.

"What for?" asked Carrie.

"For bringing us along. It was very thoughtful of you, even if things didn't go as planned," said Darwin, his smile waning slightly.

"I appreciate that very much Darwin," said Carrie, going over and kissing him on the cheek.

"Uh, excuse us, but is this the right time?" Gumball appeared as the two turned around and looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"What did I miss?" said Jake, skidding around the corner.

"Nothing much to be honest, Jake," said Gumball, giving a snide smile. "Come on, let's get out of here before something else bad happens."

"Right, let's do that," said Carrie. They all gathered around and Carrie teleported them out of the museum.

They once again were greeted by the chilling breeze as they ended up outside.

"So, I guess this is the part where we split ways," said Carrie sheepishly, as she eyed Darwin.

"I guess so," said Darwin.

"Yeah, come on Darwin, we don't want to be caught after curfew," said Gumball, starting to walk down the sidewalk.

"So, I'll see you around?" asked Darwin cheerily.

"Yeah, we'll talk another time," said Carrie in a bright mood.

"Darwin!" shouted Gumball, impatiently.

"Coming," said Darwin rushing off. _'I'm glad Carrie feels the same way about me.'_

Carrie waved goodbye to her friends and teleported away with a loud crack and a flash of light. Jake hardly noticed and gave a simple nod to her.

' _Things are a little bit crazy in this town, and life's a little bit messy. However we all make mistakes,'_ Jake thought to himself. _'Are Carrie and Darwin... Are they a couple now? I guess only time will tell.'_

* * *

 **Another chapter down, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it. Tell me what you think of this chapter. Anyways, thanks once again for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The New Arrival**

 _ **Jake and Randal come to blows as Randal antagonizes the coyote, but when a new student arrives in Elmore will Randal meet someone who won't stand for that and will he perhaps meet his equal?**_

 **Timey's Notes:**

 **While it may not be the spookiest thing I've read, reading that backroom scene at night was a bad decision. xD I found Eileen and Hugo incredibly amusing and yay, Carrie/Darwin! Jake and Gumball bonding! Fun times all around. :P**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I made a Ghostbusters reference in this chapter, props to you if you found it.**

 **-I thought I'd give this chapter a Night at the Museum vibe to it, I hope you liked that.**

 **-I enjoyed creating the characters of Hugo and Eileen as we haven't seen poltergeists in the show before and I thought it would be a nice touch even if they were just minor characters.**

 **-As for what's in the backroom that is the question, it'll come into play in later chapters.**


	9. Chapter 9: The New Arrival

**Hey, Nomad here. Anyways I was collaborating with another author on this chapter so I wanted to make sure I got his character down right. Anyways I have a few shout-outs to make before we get into this chapter.**

 **If you're an aspiring writer, and you want to see how you write an AWOG story, check out The Loop. It is one of the most well-received stories on the archive right up there with The Newcomer and other awesome stories. I'd really look at them as inspirational works to become a great writer.**

 **This shout out also goes to Story of My Life: Life In Elmore I by Malaya14. Check his story out, as I say it is a good read. Also, Jake makes an appearance in the story. That's it for now, let's get into the chapter!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 9: The New Arrival

Gumball walked out of Miss Simian's class with a minor headache from all the material they had covered throughout the day. He searched for Penny, looking back and forth down the crowded hallway, as he wanted to actually spend some quality time together with her. He hadn't had the opportunity over the past several days.

"Where could she be?" the blue cat said to no one in particular.

"Hey Gumball," said the shapeshifter upon noticing Gumball. She gave him a radiant smile.

"Penny, it's great to see you again! It's been some time," said Gumball, grabbing her hands tight in his paws.

"Well, aren't you one for reunions?" Penny giggled. "You look a little confused; tough day?"

"You could say that. It's just a lot of work in Miss Simian's class as usual," said Gumball, gesturing back at the classroom.

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about something. Carrie and Darwin; are they together yet?" asked Penny, anticipating an answer.

"It's hard to say, but they have a mutual attraction towards one another, that's for sure," Gumball responded.

"That seems to be apparent," said Penny cheerily, noticing the other kids leaving the classroom. "Darwin, how was your day?"

"It was alright. A bit hectic, as usual," said Darwin, rubbing his temples with his fins.

"It's good to see you too, Jake," said Penny to the whistling coyote, who seemed to be in a good mood. Jake grinned back at her.

"So, Gumball, if you're not doing anything would you want to come over my house sometime?"

"That sounds wonderful Penny! Are you sure your dad is cool with it, though?" asked Gumball cautiously.

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it," said Penny, drawing closer to Gumball. "I'll talk to you later then."

With that, Penny kissed Gumball on the cheek and pulled back before floating away. Gumball had a smug look on his face as if he wanted to relive the moment, while Darwin tried to shake him back into the present.

"Just give him a second; he usually does this," said Darwin, trying to grab Gumball's attention. Jake played with his backpack, waiting patiently.

"That was fantastic!" whooped Gumball enthusiastically, drawing the attention of everyone in the halls.

"Tone it down a notch, Gumball," said Jake.

"Sorry," said Gumball apologetically. "I just got carried away."

"That's understandable," said Darwin, "but you don't have to announce that you're in love with Penny to the whole school."

"Don't give him any ideas," said Jake lightheartedly.

"Oh, har de har har," said Gumball, playfully pushing the coyote, making all three of them laugh a bit.

"We should get going," said Gumball, breaking in his laughter and clearing his throat.

Jake gave him a mocking salute at this. "Whatever you say, boss!"

"Come on, history is next," said Darwin, paying careful attention to his schedule.

"Mr. Small?" Gumball groaned, annoyed.

"Yeah, his lectures aren't the best, especially when he goes off topic," Jake admitted. "At times like these, one of my and I friends would bring earplugs to class."

"Really?" Darwin asked. "And who is this friend?"

"Just a brash jokester I know. If you saw him he'd stick out like a sore thumb," said Jake, reflecting a bit. "I'm sure you'd like him, though."

"Sounds interesting. Do you still talk to him?" asked Gumball.

"Once in awhile, but he's busy as well," said Jake with a shrug. "Anyways, things between you and Penny seem to be going well."

"They certainly are," said Gumball, celebrating quietly.

Their conversation was cut short by a familiar face who was coolly standing at the corner, carelessly inspecting the scars across his face as if they were some minor inconvenience.

"It's Randal," Jake whispered, careful to not draw his attention. "Let's go around to Mr. Small's room."

"It's long and we don't have the time," said Gumball, checking the clock on the wall. "Besides if you actively avoid him it'll show that you're afraid of him."

"I guess you have a point," said Jake, struggling a bit with whether or not to proceed.

Jake walked into Randal's line of sight and the wolverine's interest changed as he looked at the coyote, the walking fish, and the blue cat.

"Lost?" asked Randal, no longer leaning against the wall as he walked over to get a better look.

"No, just on our way to class," said Gumball, shaking his head.

The wolverine gave no answer to this, and instead just walked around, blocking the trio's way. He sneered upon noticing Jake, as the coyote clenched his teeth. Gumball shifted his sight to Darwin, who was timidly approaching Jake. The tension in the air was apparent as Jake finally gave a response.

"What's so interesting about me? So interesting that you outright target me?" said Jake, vexed.

"You fascinate me, runt; you're not like the others," said Randal, pointing at Gumball and Darwin.

"Why don't you leave?" Gumball said suddenly, and Randal responded by drawing his arm back and preparing to knock Gumball away.

However, a blur caught Randal's arm just as he was about to strike. The next thing the blur did was roll backward, using the momentum to kick Randal backward as he hit the ground. Randal recovered, surprised by whoever had performed the feat and was hit by several lighting fast hits that did little to move the wolverine. However, the last blow knocked the wolverine to his knees. Randal felt the side of his mouth with his paw, noticing the smear of blood down the side.

"Alright then," said the wolverine, angrily. He raised an eyebrow, surprised at the arrival's strength, knowing that the time fooling around with them was over and it was a really fight now.

"Whoa, that was incredible! Looks like we don't have to hire a bodyguard to keep Randal away from us," said Gumball, amazed.

In a lightning fast move, the blur tried to hit Randal several times, only to be blocked each and every time. Randal caught their arm and twisted it, but the blur then pushed off against Randal causing a gap between them. The two combatants were ready to trade blows again, but-

"What is going on here?!" asked Principal Brown, outraged by the scuffle in the hallway. "Mr. Locke, are you causing another fight in our hallways?"

"Hardly the case," said Randal coldly, wiping the smear of blood away from the side of his mouth.

"Really? Then explain why you two looked like you were in the middle of a brawl and were about to exchange punches?" asked Principal Brown, angrily adjusting his spectacles.

Randal rolled his eyes at this statement and went down the hallway without a word.

"I'll let this incident slide," said Principal Brown, crossing his arms. "But I suggest you get to class soon."

"Yes sir," Jake responded quickly.

The furry slug nodded before heading down the hallway and disappearing from sight.

"Thanks for the heroics," said Gumball, starting as the new arrival drew back his hood.

The new arrival was clad in a gray hoodie over his black t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and neon sneakers. The boy had a pale, almost ghostly appearance. The most noticeable feature he had was the red scar down the right side of his face.

"Heh, don't mention it," said the arrival cheerfully.

"Anyways, I'm-" Gumball began, only to be interrupted by the boy.

"Gumball, and that's your brother Darwin. I remember you guys," answered the new arrival, prompting confused looks from both Gumball and Darwin.

"I'm sorry, but how do you know us?" asked Gumball, taken aback.

"I knew you two when I was a kid. We grew up together; don't you remember me?" asked the new arrival.

"I can't recall, but thanks for taking on Randal," said Gumball. "Also, I think it's about time for a proper introduction."

"I'm Cato Anderson," said the new arrival, offering his hand out to Jake first.

"Jake Wiley," said Jake, shaking Cato's hand.

"So, who was that guy, Jake?" asked Cato, motioning to the path Randal had disappeared from.

"That was Randal. He's a wolverine with one nasty attitude," Jake replied.

"I can tell," said Cato, dusting off his hands on his jeans. "I think I showed him, though."

"I doubt that, Randal isn't easily deterred that's for sure," said Jake, starting down the hallway. Before Jake could get anywhere, Cato zipped in front of him, accidentally knocking a book out from under Jake's arm and scattering the papers that were inside it onto the floor.

"Did he just go all speedster on us?" asked Gumball, amazed by Cato's ability.

"Yeah, we got ourselves a Kid Flash here," said Jake, impressed by what Cato could do.

As Jake stooped down to pick up his papers, there was another blur of speed. Jake spun out of control and almost toppled over, but someone was suddenly helping him balance.

"Sorry about that! Sometimes it's hard to control my speed," said Cato a bit bashfully, handing Jake his book back with all the papers stuffed back in it.

"Uh... Thanks," said Jake, his fur windswept because of Cato's super speed.

"So, what do you guys do for fun around here?" asked Cato, putting his hands in his hoodie's pockets.

"Well, there are a few things," said Darwin, pondering for a moment. "Care to join us?"

"Sure bro," said Cato eagerly, and with that they proceeded to Mr. Small's classroom.

"So, how exactly did you get your super speed, Cato? I've never seen anyone in Elmore have something like that," said Jake, looking over at him.

"Well, it's a long story, but I sort of got struck by lightning," said Cato, a bit fidgety in his response.

"You got struck by lightning? Dude, you're lucky to be alive," Gumball exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know, bro," said Cato, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Still, it's handy to have."

"Bro? Huh?" asked Gumball.

"Yeah, it's just a nickname for you," said Cato with a shrug.

"Alright, I can dig it," said Gumball, grinning.

"Anyways, we should hurry up," said Cato as he zoomed down the hallway. "Try to keep up!"

"You know, chasing roadrunners is one thing, but this is totally different," said Jake, jokingly. Gumball chuckled.

"Come on, we out to catch up to Cato," said Gumball, starting at a trot down the hallway.

Eventually, the trio caught up to Cato, who was already waiting for them in Mr. Small's class, towards the front of the room.

"Hey bros, how's it going?" asked Cato with a smug grin as they took their seats. Jake brushed his sweaty bangs out of his face while Gumball panted heavily, placing his hands on his knees.

"Remind me never to do something like that again, Darwin," said Gumball, in between his heavy panting.

"You know Gumball, you're terribly out of shape," said Darwin with a look of pity.

"Yeah, I'm just not used to aerobic exercises that's for sure," said Gumball, sliding into his seat.

"Ah, good morning class. I see you're ready for another day of learning!" said Mr. Small enthusiastically.

"This is going to be a long class," said Gumball, laying his head on the desk and yawning loudly.

"So today we are going to learn about the history of Elmore! Would anyone like to volunteer? Anyone?" asked Mr. Small, looking around desperately. He searched for anyone who seemed interested in the subject. "Jake! Would you like to tell us about Elmore?"

"I don't really have any idea on Elmore's history as I didn't really live here, remember?" said Jake while fiddling with his pencil. "Besides Mr. Small, isn't this World History? We should be focusing on other areas of the world besides just here?"

"My mistake Jake," said Mr. Small, his expression changing from one of enthusiasm to a crestfallen expression. "Anyways class, for this lesson you'll need a partner. Go ahead and form your duos."

Jake already knew that Gumball and Darwin would group themselves together, so he turned to Cato instead.

"So, partners?" asked Jake, organizing the papers on his desk.

"Sure bro," said Cato, taking things out of his backpack.

"So, each of you is to complete a short project on a country of your choice," said Mr. Small, walking down the rows and handing out the rubric. "A written report is due for both of you by the end of class."

"How does doing something on Malaysia sound?" asked Cato, looking over to Jake.

"That could work; I could learn a thing or two," said Jake, shrugging as he opened his history textbook and scanned through the pages.

"Cool, let's do it," said Cato, looking through his textbook.

* * *

Cato placed the paper on top of Mr. Small's desk and held out his hand for Jake to high five, which the coyote did. "I would have wanted to do the Netherlands, but that was very interesting none the less," Jake said.

"Why the Netherlands?" asked Cato, raising his eyebrow.

"That's where my dad's side of the family comes from," said Jake, propping the door open as the class left the room.

"How much do you know about your dad's side?" asked Cato, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Not as much as I'd like. All I know is basically their names and that's it," admitted Jake. "How about your family?"

"Well, I'm an orphan I guess," Cato sighed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. You have my condolences," said Jake sympathetically. "Do you have a place to stay? The Wiley household always has room for one more."

"It's fine; I have a place to stay but thank you for the kind offer and for those sympathetic words," said Cato with a sad smile.

"You're welcome pal," said Jake as they strode down the hallways.

However, the two friends encountered a furious wolverine on their path to the cafeteria. Both Cato and Jake came to a complete stop, and the wolverine snarled at them.

"I see you're in a bad mood," commented Cato wryly.

This caused the wolverine's anger to simmer as he bit back a retort. Jake could tell that things weren't going to end well if he didn't intervene.

"Hey Cato, come on. I ought to show you around the lunchroom," said Jake persistently, gesturing to get moving.

Cato lingered for a bit, before following Jake.

"Get out of here, ghost boy," Randal snarled under his breath.

Cato stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face Randal.

"What did you call me?" asked Cato, offended.

"Ghost boy. Do you have a problem with that?" asked Randal, looking at Cato with disdain.

"Come on Cato," said Jake, urging him to go.

"Well then, how's your face?" asked Cato, making a reference to the red scars across his face. The charcoal gray wolverine wasn't unsettled by this.

"You'll regret your arrogance," snarled Randal, cracking his knuckles and drawing his paws up, ready for a fight.

"Really? Because last time you seemed to be surprised you couldn't push me around, and you clearly messed up when you couldn't take me on," said Cato snidely, as the wolverine tried to remain calm and collected.

"Make no mistake, I underestimated you. But that is one mistake I do not intend to make again!" snarled the gray wolverine, bitterly.

"Stop it, both of you!" shouted Jake, gaining their attention.

"Sorry Jake, let's go," Cato sighed, while Randal just muttered under his breath.

"Cato, just ignore Randal. The last thing we want is another fistfight in the halls," said Jake, a bit disappointed at how his friend reacted.

"Have you ever gotten into a fight with Randal?" asked Cato.

"Once, though I'd say it was too one-sided to consider it a fight," said Jake. "Heck, I almost got into a fight with him last Friday."

"Don't you think it's better to take a stand against bullies than let them trounce all over you?" asked Cato, making a strong point.

"Maybe, but Randal isn't your typical bully or at least as far as I can tell. He actively avoids cooperating with other bullies," said Jake, looking back at Randal. "What happened to make him so cruel?"

"You're asking me? I just met the guy," Cato scoffed.

"He's an enigma, that's for sure," said Jake, pushing the door open for Cato so he could enter the cafeteria.

"So, where do you guys usually sit?" said Cato, investigating the cafeteria.

"Over yonder, but we ought to get in line," said Jake, leading Cato into the lunch line.

Cato patted down his pockets nervously and tapped Jake on the shoulder.

"I left my wallet back at my place. Could you spare anything?" asked Cato, tentatively.

"Sure, I'll pay for your meal as well," said Jake, pulling out his wallet and sorting through the paper bills in it.

"Oh, and to think you haven't paid your cut," said Jamie, noticing the money in Jake's wallet.

"I only have enough for Cato and me," said Jake, peering down into his wallet and counting the values.

"Well, that's too bad. Looks like your friend will have to remain hungry. Otherwise, I can give you a knuckle sandwich," said Jamie, brandishing her fist.

Jake turned to Cato, his words still fresh in his mind.

"Sorry Jamie, but sometimes it's better to take a stand. Besides, he's my friend," said Jake, determinedly.

"After I'm through with you, you're going to need dental care," said Jamie, throwing her fist at Jake's face.

However, something then happened that Jake didn't expect. Randal towered over Jamie, and the sight alone was intimidating.

"Might I ask what is going on?" asked Randal with a snarl.

"Nothing," answered Jamie, clearly scared of Randal.

"I thought as much," said Randal, eying Jake and Cato before starting to walk off.

"Um, thanks for the help," said Jake cautiously, as Randal prowled away. The wolverine's ears perked up and he stopped.

"Help? Hmph," Randal scoffed before vanishing from their line of sight.

"Okay, that was weird," said Jake, shaking his head. "Am I unconscious or something?"

"No, you're fine, Jake," said Cato, his eyebrows furrowed, as he tried to figure out what just happened.

The aroma of the cafeteria was a mixture of different smells, all delicious and enticing. Jake proceeded to load his tray up with french fries and a hamburger, while Cato just grabbed a slice of pizza. The coyote haphazardly deposited his change on the counter for Rocky, who sorted through it before placing it into the register.

"Where's Gumball?" asked Cato, planting his tray down.

"Where do you think? He's with Penny," said Darwin, matter-of-factly.

"Oh?" said Cato, surprised.

* * *

"Well, isn't this peaceful," said Gumball, looking into Penny's eyes, completely lovestruck.

"Come on Gumball, get your head out of the clouds. We can talk normally," said Penny, giggling.

"Sorry, how's your dad?" asked Gumball, quickly snapping out of it.

"He's fine. He's still a bit annoyed that we have a relationship going on, but he's coming to accept it," said Penny.

"I can imagine. Are you sure it's alright? I can always prove myself to him," said Gumball eagerly.

"No, I'm sure he'll be fine," said Penny, fiddling with her food.

"Do you think your family will come out of their shells anytime soon?" asked Gumball.

"It's hard to say. My dad is still very protective of me, to be honest, sometimes a bit too much," said Penny, shrugging.

"It's because he loves you. It wouldn't be normal if he wasn't at least a little concerned about you. Hey, look at my mom! She's always worried when something crazy happens to me," said Gumball, supportively.

"I guess we have that in common," said Penny, beaming at him.

"I have to agree with that," said Gumball, leaning closer as Penny shifted closer to each other. And with that, the two exchanged a kiss.

"So, life in Elmore-" Penny began.

"Is still as crazy as ever, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," said Gumball, with a heartfelt smile.

"That's such a sweet thing for you to say, Gumball," said Penny, as the two shared the moment together.

"Thanks, Penny," said Gumball delighted.

The bell signaled the end of lunch and the lunchroom broke back into a disorderly state as kids rushed to pack their bags and head to their classes. Gumball walked beside Penny as they exited the lunchroom.

"So Penny, I was thinking, since we're already... you know, together... Do you want to go to the Semi-Formal with me?" said Gumball, finally coming up with the nerve to ask Penny.

"It's about time," said Penny, her mood brightening. "I'd love to, Gumball."

"Okay, I'll drop by at your house at six-thirty. How does that sound?" asked Gumball.

"Sounds good! We'll have a half-hour before the dance starts," said Penny.

"Hey Gumball, what's going on?" asked Darwin, showing up next to his brother.

"Not much," said Gumball, still staring into Penny's eyes.

"I see. Well, I'll see you and Penny later in class," said Darwin, shaking his head.

"Well, we should get going," said Penny.

"Yeah, I don't want to get a detention for showing up late, especially with how these days have been going," said Gumball, grabbing Penny's hand.

Randal shifted through the contents of his locker, familiar images presenting themselves.

 _'None of them are interesting or important,'_ Randal thought to himself as he noticed the picture still encased in a shattered frame. For a second he thought about picking it up and getting a good look at it. Randal shook the thought and slammed the locker closed as he heard footsteps.

"Hello? Randal? I thought you didn't use your locker," said Jake, looking at Randal's locker. "Anyways, what's going on?"

"Nothing, runt," said Randal simply, crossing his arms. "Watch where you step; Elmore isn't all sunshine and daisies you know."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it," said Jake, raising an eyebrow.

"Good," said Randal, pushing Jake into the lockers as he strode past.

"What's his problem?" Jake asked himself.

* * *

 **Anyways, that was Cato Anderson, Malaya14's OC who really wanted him to have a role in The Outsider, overall this was a fun chapter to write. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. As always feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think or favorite or follow this story.**

 **Also, as a way of saying thank you to you guys and gals, my awesome readers, I decided to add something new. Now I'll be adding a Questions for the Author section to my author's notes. In other words, if you have a question about the story or chapter or anything that springs to mind feel free to ask me, and then I'll answer it in the author's notes in the next chapter. Thanks! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Lively**

 _ **Jake runs into someone at the mall who seems to get his attention. Will Jake get the nerve to talk to them? Also, what about the Semi-Formal as it's just around the corner.**_

 **Timey's Notes:**

 **It's Timey again! Looks like Randal may have met his match in Cato. I don't imagine that it was very fun for him. :P But look! Character development! Plus, the dance is coming up soon, and I'm pretty curious to find out what happens during the event. Aren't you? ;)**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I made a reference to Wile E. Coyote in this chapter as Jake said 'chasing roadrunners is one thing'.**

 **-I made an obvious reference to Wally West a.k.a Kid Flash.**

 **-I really wanted to develop Randal more showing that he is frustrated that Cato was able to beat him. Also, I wanted to show more of his character and don't worry you'll be seeing more of Randal very soon.**

 **-As for Cato he might play a major role in a few chapters.**

 **-I wanted to shift the focus away from Jake a bit and focus on other parts of the story particular Gumball's and Penny's romance and Randal and how he reacts to certain things.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Lively

**Here's another chapter to The Outsider once again I hope you enjoy it and be sure to tell me what you think. Anyways, here we go.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 10: The Lively

It was a typical Wednesday afternoon in Elmore. The overcast clouds blotted out the sun and the streets were quiet. A certain coyote strode down the street, whistling happy tunes on his way to the mall, shivering slightly. He remembered that his parents had offered him a ride to the mall, but he had politely turned it down, instead deciding to go for a walk. He checked his pocket, making sure his cell phone was in it, as his mom often called him to make sure he was alright.

 _'Sometimes she worries too much, but it's always good to hear from her,'_ thought Jake as he crossed the street, double checking to make sure there were no cars cruising down the street.

Elmore Mall was a new sight for the coyote as he hadn't seen it up close. Jake's jaw dropped slightly. He remembered passing by the building at a distance when he arrived in Elmore. Jake shook his surprise, pressing the crosswalk button and waiting for the lights to change.

"Woah," said Jake, impressed by the size and scope of the building. "Sure is a lot bigger than anything in Winslow."

Jake did his best to avoid the hustle and bustle of the average shopper on their way out of the parking lot and managed to pass through the automatic sliding doors into the mall. The wide array of shops and stores in the mall was amazing. Jake soaked all the sights in, turning around to get a good look at them. The food court's tempting smell of fresh pretzels, popcorn, french fries, and pizza made his stomach growl as a reminder to head over there.

 _'I've just got to grab a few things first,'_ thought Jake, turning away from the food court and heading to some of the stores. He began carefully scanning some of the displays. 'What would be a good trinket for my mom?'

However, Jake became a bit distracted and meandered from place to place, looking at every storefront from sports shops, to clothing stores, and video game stores. The next thing that caught the coyote's attention completely was not a store, but rather a person. Jake was on a trip down the escalator, leaning up against the side and a girl had suddenly captured his attention.

The girl was wearing a red and white plaid dress shirt and capri blue jeans. Her amber fur made it easy to spot her and she had short whiskers. Jake leaned over the side of the escalator, getting a better look at her and sighing dreamily. He kept looking at the girl, lovestruck. He stepped off the escalator, almost tripping, due to him not paying attention as he was solely focused on her.

 _'What are you waiting for? Introduce yourself!'_ a voice exclaimed in the coyote's head as he remained entranced by her.

 _'Yeah right, she's out of my league and probably has a boyfriend who won't take too kindly to me if I did that!'_ said another voice nervously.

Jake made his decision, deciding to walk over to the girl, fixing his clothes to make himself more presentable and running his paws through his hair and ruffling it. A split second of hesitation caused the nervous coyote to stop at a few feet away from her. A friend of the girl walked up to her and started talking to her. With this, the coyote turned around and decide to head off somewhere else.

"You coward!" said Jake, cursing himself as he walked away.

* * *

Jake tried to forget his blunder, deciding to take his mind off things as he went into the video game store and looked through the selection of games. A few games looked interesting as he shuffled through the store, but nothing really caught his eye. After a short chat with Larry about the various games they offered, Jake decided to leave the store, hanging his head low and looking at his feet, instead of where he was going.

Jake collided with another person, spilling the contents of their bags all over the floor of the mall. The other person was just as shocked as Jake, having to steady themselves before moving to pick up their stuff.

"Sorry about that! Yeesh, I'm such a klutz," Jake admitted nervously, doing his best to recover the contents which comprised of several CDs, a book, and a set of clothes.

"It's quite alright," said the voice, sweetly reassuring him.

Jake lifted his eyes and saw the same girl he had seen before and nervously shifted from foot to foot, as he handed back her stuff back.

"Anyways, I don't believe we met. I'm Kelsey Springer," said the girl sociably, brushing her bangs over her left eye.

"Uh... Wiley; Jake Wiley," Jake said, smitten by the girl and trying to keep his cool and start a casual conversation. "What are you?"

"A pleasure to meet you, Jake. And to answer your question, I'm a fennec fox," said Kelsey, looking at his clothes and slightly untidy appearance. "And what species are you? You don't seem to be from around these parts."

"True enough, I just arrived here about a month ago," said Jake sheepishly, shrugging. "And I'm a coyote."

"That's interesting. What do you think of life in Elmore?" Kelsey asked as she fiddled around with her stuff.

"It's a nice place," Jake replied, giving an unsure smile.

"So, I'm sure you still need the grand tour," said the fox, smiling warmly. "What do you say?"

"Sure, I wouldn't mind that," said Jake, burying his paws in his pockets. "Anything you want to point out?"

"I'll show you around Jake," said Kelsey, before leading the coyote through the mall.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?"

"Well, how about we get you fitted? Do you play any sports?" asked Kelsey, pointing at the sports equipment store.

"Not really, I don't really think I have the skill," said Jake doubtfully.

"It's fine! We can always just check out the sports equipment," said Kelsey eagerly, rushing into the store and disappearing behind rows of jerseys.

"Kelsey?" asked Jake, looking around any sign of her. Unbeknownst to the coyote, she was sneaking up on him and placed a large football helmet on his head. Jake tried to steady himself, laughing a bit as Kelsey smiled.

"Seems a bit on the large side, don't you think?" said Jake humorously, taking the helmet off his head and patting it.

"What are you talking about? It was a perfect fit for your oversized head," said Kelsey, grinning with amusement.

"So, you're into sports? Are you a cheerleader or something?" asked Jake, placing the cumbersome helmet back on the shelf.

"I mostly play hockey, there's nothing better than to be out on the ice," said Kelsey. She grabbed a hockey stick from the shelf and slammed the blade of the stick against the floor as if envisioning herself on the ice as she went through the motions of shifting the puck from side to side.

"Do you play on a team?" asked Jake, taking several steps back as Kelsey took a mock slapshot.

"Not yet, but I've always wondered if Elmore Junior High has a girl's hockey team," said Kelsey, leaning on her hockey stick.

"You go to Elmore Junior High?" said Jake, his heart soaring.

"Well, yeah. I don't want to be stuck in school uniform and attend Elmore Academy where some of the students can be really pretentious," said Kelsey. "What about you? You don't seem like the type to be going there either."

"I'm actually going to Elmore Junior High as well," replied Jake, tossing a puck down on the floor for Kelsey, who lined it up.

"Cool, dude. Maybe we should hang out sometime around the school," said Kelsey, flicking the hockey puck into the wall, making it ricochet off the wall.

"I wouldn't mind that at all, it sounds fun," said Jake, his heart skipping a beat as he secretly celebrated at this.

"Speaking of fun, let's see what you can do," said Kelsey, tossing the coyote a hockey stick.

"Alright, you're going down!" Jake replied, playfully challenging her. He got into position, ready to take the girl on.

"Ready?" asked the amber fox, suspending the puck in the air with a smirk.

"I was born ready," said Jake determinedly. "Bring it on."

Kelsey dropped the puck and the two battled for it. The fennec fox was very skilled, easily faking out the coyote. Jake fell back slightly, hoping to buy himself some time as he stole the puck from Kelsey and tried to move it past her. The two clashed with all their strength against their hockey sticks, halting the puck, locked in a stalemate. Kelsey was faster, however, yanking the puck away from Jake's hockey stick before shooting it past him.

"Woah! You're good," said Jake, impressed with Kelsey's skill.

"Thanks, Jake," Kelsey responded, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Ever consider joining the boy's hockey team? You'd probably be a great addition."

"I don't think I'm good enough at ice skating to join the team yet," said Jake with a shrug. "Maybe I should find some free time to practice."

"Sound like you've got things figured out. Come on, we should probably clean up this mess before Larry investigates what all this ruckus was about," said Kelsey, placing her hockey stick back on the shelf while also searching for the puck they used.

* * *

They left the sports store eager to see where to go next.

 _'I have to admit, it's quite fun hanging out with her, and she's pretty as well_ ,' Jake thought, trying to stop himself from sheepishly smiling.

"So what do you say Jake, where to?" asked Kelsey.

"I'm going to go with what my stomach is saying and say the food court," said Jake, point over at the hustling center. "I could use a bite to eat."

"Agreed, I have a friend waiting for us over there," said Kelsey, fumbling with her various bags.

"Here, let me help," said Jake, helping her hold the bags as she straightened them out. The coyote was a bit deterred by the fact that they were going to meet up with someone else, that person probably being Kelsey's boyfriend.

"Uh, how close are you with this person?" said Jake, a shade too casually.

"Oh, very close, we do everything together," said Kelsey, smiling at this.

This was the last thing Jake wanted to hear as he nervously reached the food court. The coyote wasn't hungry anymore as he was too nervous to think about what he was going to order. He fell into line, his ears drooping and Kelsey gave him a look of concern, wondering what was the matter.

 _'Imagine if it was Randal, that would be the worst thing ever!'_ Jake thought to himself.

"Jake, what seems to be the matter?" asked Kelsey, nudging the coyote gently with her elbow.

"It's nothing," said Jake, quickly and faking a smile. "Just a thought is all."

"Okay, if you say so then," said the amber fox, fixing her shirt's collar before walking up to the register. "I'll go with a slice of pepperoni pizza and a small soda."

"And for your friend?" asked Larry, looking at Jake, recognizing the coyote and his tone shifted to a concerned one. "You're not with the Wattersons, this time, are you?"

"No, don't worry, Larry. They're good people anyways. I'll just go with a large pretzel and a small soda as well," Jake said as he pulled out his wallet.

"Thanks, have a good day!" said Larry, relieved at the news the Watterson brothers weren't around. He handed them their respective foods.

Jake turned around and he tried to guess which person would be Kelsey's boyfriend. The various tables were strewn with many different people and it was hard to spot any lone boy waiting for them. Kelsey spoke up at this, noticing Jake was standing still.

"Jake, our table is this way, dude," said Kelsey, pointing to a different table with one occupant at it. "Hello, Ev."

Jake recognized the person, as he had seen her talking with Kelsey before. She was a border collie, wearing an outfit that consisted of a pair of gray pants and a blue jean jacket. Jake let out a mental sigh of relief at this.

"Who's your friend, Kels?" asked 'Ev' upon noticing the coyote, who was already pulling up a chair to sit down next to the amber fox.

"This is Jake Wiley, Evelyn. And Jake, this is my bestie, Evelyn Luck," said Kelsey, introducing the two to each other.

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn," responded Jake. He reached his paw out to shake hers and sat down at the table, giving her a friendly smile. The border collie immediately noticed Jake's behavior around Kelsey and grinned to herself, noticing the coyote's crush on the amber fox.

"So Jake, where are you from?" asked Kelsey, still slurping on her soda.

"Winslow, actually," said Jake, tearing off a piece of his pretzel.

"Is it very different from Elmore?" asked Evelyn, speaking up and leaning forward.

"It's a bit different, it's a lot more hot and dry," said Jake, thinking about his hometown. "It's home nonetheless. What about you? Are you both from Elmore?"

"Yeah, we've known each other since we were kids," answered Kelsey, fiddling with her straw as she took another sip from her soda. "Any friends in Winslow?"

"A few. It was hard leaving them behind." The coyote paused, trying to find his words. "I've made some new friends, though, mainly with Gumball and Darwin Watterson. Do you know who they are?"

"Those names sound familiar. I can't say I personally know them," said Kelsey, thinking about what she knew about the Wattersons. "They're always treated unfairly by Miss Simian."

"Yeah, they aren't held in very high regard by her, and that's putting it mildly," replied Jake, his expression shifting to one of disappointment. "I don't why she's a teacher if she utterly despises the job."

"I hear she has a thing for Principal Brown, and I guess she just enjoys her students' misery," commented Kelsey, clearing off her spot as she finished up her slice of pizza. "Anyways, let's roll."

"You don't mind if I come with?" asked Jake, finishing the last of his pretzel.

"Sure, I don't mind the company. What about you Evelyn?" Kelsey asked, picking up her things.

"I'm fine with it," said Evelyn, giving Kelsey a smile.

"Alright, ready to go?"

"I'll be with you in a second Kelsey. I want to talk to Jake first, though," said Evelyn, waving her on to go ahead without them. Kelsey was hesitant at this, looking at her friend and then at Jake.

"Don't worry Kelsey, we won't be long," insisted Jake, and Kelsey nodded before heading off. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I noticed you've certainly taken a liking towards my friend," said Evelyn slyly.

"What are you implying?" asked Jake, his heart frantically racing.

"Oh, please! I've seen the way you look at her; you've got a major crush on her," the border collie giggled.

"Let me explain-" said the coyote quickly, but the border collie placed her paw against Jake's mouth.

"You don't need to explain anything to me, you've got to tell it to her! I don't think she's realized the way you feel about her. Dude, you've got to step up if you want to get her to notice you," replied Evelyn.

"Thanks for the tip," sighed Jake, relieved at the fact he didn't have to explain his crush on Kelsey.

"Anytime, but if you want to get Kelsey's attention, you've got to be cool and confident and ask her out."

"To what?" asked Jake, trying to recall anything to which he could ask the fennec fox out to.

"How about the Fall-Semi Formal? Do I have to do your thinking for you?" teased Evelyn, rolling her eyes at the coyote.

"No way, anything but that," said Jake nervously.

"Look, if you don't ask Kelsey out, someone else will beat you to the punch," said Evelyn, a bit frustrated with Jake's reluctance. "It doesn't have to be a date, you could just say that you're going as friends. Does that help?"

"Yeah, that could work, but I have to know: does anyone like Kelsey?" asked Jake, hoping Evelyn would have an answer. Evelyn thought for a moment.

"No, so far I think it's only you," she replied, and Jake was overjoyed at this. "Anyways, be ready to ask Kelsey out if you really feel that way about her."

"Thanks, Evelyn," said Jake, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's catch up with Kelsey then, and remember, be cool about it," reminded Evelyn as she picked up her stuff. They quickly found their way to where Kelsey was.

"Hey, it's good to see you both again," said Kelsey, and Evelyn signaled Jake to step up and talk to her.

"Kelsey, I was thinking-" Jake began, trying to gain the nerve to ask her out to the dance.

"Yeah, Jake?" asked Kelsey, waiting patiently for the second part of what Jake was going to say.

"What sport do you play in the spring and summer?" said Jake, shifting the question to a different topic.

"Mainly baseball actually," Kelsey replied, mildly surprised at the unexpected question. Evelyn let out a frustrated sigh at this and gave Jake a look that insisted that he try again.

"So, Kelsey, what do you want to now?" said Jake, clearing his throat.

"I was thinking about helping you continue to get acquainted with the mall. It also looks like you could use a jacket, instead of just a t-shirt as you probably aren't used to the cold," said Kelsey.

"Yeah, thanks! That's very thoughtful of you. I was also looking for a gift for my mom before I ran into you," Jake added.

"I'm sure I could help you find something. Evelyn, do you plan on coming along?" asked Kelsey cheerfully.

"Actually, I was planning to check something else out," said the border collie, deciding to give the coyote and the fox some space.

"I'll see you later Evelyn," Kelsey said, waving goodbye to her friend.

"Catch you later," said Evelyn, waving back and giving a quick smile at Jake. The coyote knew very well that she wished him luck with his endeavor.

"What was the smile for?" asked Kelsey, suspicious of Evelyn's behavior.

"She was just encouraging me to do something," said Jake honestly. "She just wanted to give her input on it."

Thankfully, the amber fox's suspicions were put to rest, and her expression softened. She beckoned the coyote to follow her and she led him into the clothing store. There was a vast array of clothes.

"Here, this should be about your size," said Kelsey, handing him a jade green jacket with black fleece lining on the inside.

The coyote complied, taking a moment to look at the nice jacket, before trying it on. It fit well, despite the coyote having to tug on each sleeve to straighten it out.

"Nice choice, Kelsey," Jake said, examining the jacket, and rubbing his face against the soft fleece interior of its collar. This caused Kelsey to laugh a bit as she walked over to the girl's section and tried on a baseball cap.

"What do you think?" she asked, adjusting the cap.

"Looks good on you. How about this, though?" asked the coyote, putting on a pair of sunglasses, and snapping his fingers at her as if he thought his outfit looked snazzy.

"They seem pretty tacky to me," giggled Kelsey, trying on a pair of ski goggles. "Maybe you just have a liking for out of date stuff."

* * *

They continued to try on different looks, laughing at their absurd choices of attire along the way. Jake's abdomen hurt from laughing so hard. He did his best to tone back his laughter as Kelsey tried on a gigantic winter coat that almost hid her completely when she tried it on.

"I think that's enough goofing around for one day," Kelsey said, removing the large coat and placing it back in its place.

"It was a lot of fun, though," said Jake, taking a break from laughing as he straightened up.

"It sure was. You still got that jacket, right?" Kelsey asked as Jake tucked the green jacket under his arm.

"I've got it," Jake replied, giving her a thumbs up. "I've just gotta find the right gift for my mom."

"Well, let's get going then! I'm sure you'll be able to find something here," reassured Kelsey, patting him on the back.

"Thanks, what would you get for your mom?"

"I have a few ideas," said Kelsey, pointing in the direction for them to go.

Jake carried the gifts for his mother with great care while Kelsey followed him, making sure he didn't fumble with them. It had been a bit expensive and Kelsey had to pitch in some of her money to pay for it, but Jake was sure his mom would appreciate the gifts.

"Thanks for pointing me in right direction Kelsey, and for pitching in with the costs," Jake said, gratefully.

"I was glad to spend some time with you and get to know you, Jake," she said with a smile.

"When do you want me to pay you back?" asked Jake, but Kelsey stopped him.

"It's fine. It was only ten dollars, and you spent three times that. I'm sure you mom with appreciate your thoughtfulness," Kelsey replied.

"Thanks again. I was wondering, are you looking to the Fall Semi-Formal?" inquired Jake carefully, as Kelsey heard this she smiled.

"I sure am! Are you going? If so, you can see my moves on the dance floor," she said, prodding the coyote playfully with her elbow.

For a second Jake thought about saying that he wasn't really planning on it, but then he'd be shooting himself in the foot, especially if he asked Kelsey out right after that.

"I'm planning on going as well, and I was wondering... Would you want to go with me, as you know, friends?" asked Jake, trying to make it sound casual. He nervously waited for a response. Kelsey beamed at him when he said this.

"That's awfully nice of you, Jake! I'd be happy to go with you, partner," replied Kelsey, as the coyote was caught off guard by her acceptance of the idea.

"What time should I come by and pick you up at then?" said the coyote, trying to hold in his joy.

"How does around six-thirty sound?"

"I can be there by that time. Where do you live by the way, so I know which house to go to," Jake asked.

"Twenty-five Parker Avenue," answered Kelsey. "Don't make me wait too long!"

"See you later, partner!" said Jake, waving happily at Kelsey.

The coyote celebrated at his success in convincing the amber fox to go with him, as he hadn't expected her to agree. He could hardly contain his excitement as he called up his mom for a ride home.

"Hey mom, it's Jake. I was wondering if I could get a ride."

"I'm already waiting in the parking lot, and who was that cute girl you were talking to?" asked Brooke, embarrassing her son as he spotted her station wagon.

"Just a friend of mine," he answered, quickly hanging up the phone and popping the door to his mom's car open.

"Hey Snuffles, I haven't seen you this cheery in a while," Brooke said, hoping to make eye contact with her son who was smiling sheepishly and trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I got something for you, mom," said Jake, rummaging through his bags.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Brooke said, but Jake pulled out a small bottle of perfume and a chocolate bar for her.

"I just figured with the good news, I should get you something," answered Jake.

"The thought matters, Jake," said Brooke throwing her arms around the young coyote and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'm glad I could help out."

With a smile, Brooke started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Jake managed to catch a glance of Kelsey as they drove away.

 _'I sure hope she likes me and that I can impress her,'_ thought Jake, smiling dreamily.

* * *

 **Cute chapter am I right? I hope you enjoyed this new chapter of The Outsider. Once again I really appreciate your support and don't forget to leave a review on what you thought of the chapter or if you have a question that you want me to answer. That's all for now, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Semi-Formal- Part One**

 _ **With the Semi-Formal within a few hours will Jake be able to prepare for the dance and impress Kelsey? Also, will Darwin be able to convince Carrie to go with him as other problems arise? And what of Gumball, who might just reveal to Kelsey Jake's secret crush?**_

 **Timey's Notes:**

 **Shipped. :3**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Steelwall5 asks: Jake's mom only got pregnant awhile ago, so can we still expect to see his new sibling in later chapters?**

 **It's possible, but considering that at this point in the story it is late Fall it has only been about a month since Brooke announced she was pregnant and that was after a month of not telling Jake. So, she's only about two to three months pregnant. So, you might see Jake's new sibling a lot later than you think. Thanks for the question Steelwall5!**

 **-Parker Avenue is a reference to Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-Man, one of my favorite Marvel Superheroes.**

 **-I decide Kelsey's personality would be more playful and outgoing than Jake's and I thought it would be a nice contrast between them. I had a lot of fun writing her character in this chapter and I hope you liked her as well and Jake obviously has a major crush on her. NeoNimbus also recommend that Kari Wahlgren would be a good fit for the role. Thanks again Neo!**

 **-I thought the minor character of Evelyn Luck would be a good addition to the story, and she might make a few more cameos in later chapters.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Semi-Formal- Part One

**Hey, everyone, I've got a new chapter for you guys, and just in a week too, that's a new record. Anyways, sit back, relax, and enjoy chapter eleven!**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 11: The Semi-Formal- Part One

Jake sighed dreamily, sitting at the lunch table with Gumball and Darwin as usual. Something was different about the coyote today. Both Gumball and Darwin wondered what was wrong with Jake as he stared across the cafeteria. He had hardly acknowledged their presence during the day and had been quiet. Even Miss Simian was mildly concerned about his behavior and had asked whether he was feeling alright. Gumball lightly rapped Jake on the head, wondering if he would respond. Jake looked up, still smiling.

"Something I should be aware of?" asked Jake, slumping back in his seat with a smile.

"Dude, you've been acting really weird lately. Care to explain?" asked Gumball, hoping to find out what was going.

"Nothing. There's just this girl, that's all," said the coyote, grinning sheepishly and ruffling his fur.

"Really? Who have you got your eyes on then? Or are you just imagining everything?" asked Gumball, arching an eyebrow. Jake shot straight up at this, a puzzled look on his face.

"Are you saying you don't believe me? You said that to one of your other friends, and look out how well that turned out," Jake snapped, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I forgot about that," said Gumball, sheepishly. "So, who's this girl?"

"Her name is Kelsey Springer... and she's standing right behind you," Jake laughed, as the Watterson brothers turned around, seeing the amber fennec fox.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked Kelsey, and Gumball and Darwin hastily moved their book-bags so she could sit down. "So Jake, ready for the main event?"

"Dang, I see why you've got a major cru-" Gumball began, but Jake kicked him hard in the shin.

"Kinda. I've got a suit and tie set out for the dance and all," said Jake, and Gumball and Darwin looked at him, startled. "What about you? Got your evening wear ready?"

"Yeah, I just picked something out with Evelyn yesterday," replied Kelsey. "So partner, these are your friends?"

"Yep, Gumball and Darwin Watterson," responded Jake, introducing them.

"So, Jake is taking you to the Semi-Formal?" Darwin asked, looking at the coyote.

"Yeah! We're going as friends, right pal?" asked Kelsey, smiling warmly.

"Right, I'll be there at six-thirty," reassured Jake, fixing his bandana.

"I'll see you then, Jake! And it was nice seeing you again and meeting your friends. Are you doing anything after school?" Kelsey asked, brushing her bangs back as she stood up from the table.

"Not really. Do you have something that you want to do?" asked Jake, excited.

"Yeah, I was actually wondering if you want to walk to my house so you get an idea of where it is," said Kelsey.

"Sounds like a plan then; I'll be there," said Jake, grinning.

Kelsey smiled back before turning around and walking away. Jake smiled as he began to laugh giddily.

"Do you think he's alright?" asked Darwin. "He seems to be just like you when you're around Penny."

"I think he's a little lovestruck. I'm nothing like this!" Gumball whispered.

"You're right," said Darwin sarcastically, with a roll of his eyes. "You're usually worse than this."

"Hey!" Gumball exclaimed indignantly, slamming his paw down on the table, shaking Jake and almost causing him to fall off his seat. "Sorry about that, Jake."

"Just try not to do that again," said Jake, straightening out his tray. "Darwin, who are you planning to go to the dance with?"

"I was planning on taking Carrie actually," said Darwin, blushing slightly.

"Are you waiting for her or something?" asked Gumball snidely. "Go on."

Darwin sighed in defeat, realizing that his brother wasn't going to stop bothering him until he talked to Carrie. The goldfish got up from the table and headed to the girl's table. Admittedly he was a bit nervous, but the goldfish pressed on until he stopped, stunned to see a familiar face.

"Rachel?" asked the goldfish as the rainbow girl gave a nervous smile to him.

"Hey Darwin, it's been awhile," responded Rachel, rubbing her arm embarrassedly. "Sorry about not being able to talk to you."

"It's fine, now's a good a time as any to catch up," Darwin said, understandingly.

"Thanks, Darwin. I was wondering if you were going to the Semi-Formal? I heard Gumball was going with Penny."

"Yeah, I'm planning to go with Carrie," said Darwin awkwardly.

"Oh, I see," said Rachel, her spirits sinking a bit. "That's good to hear. I hope you have fun with her Darwin."

"Wait, Rachel!" said Darwin desperately as she hung her head low and walked off. He slapped himself in the face. "Smooth moves, Darwin!"

"Tough luck, dude," said Gumball, walking up and placing his hand on his shoulder. "But you can't take both of them out, you've got to choose."

"But I don't want to hurt either of them if I chose one," Darwin sighed.

The long day gave Darwin ample opportunity to ask Carrie out, as they were in most of the same classes, but he was still worried about Rachel. He hadn't seen her since lunch. Darwin sat on the bleachers, sighing heavily, knowing that Rachel had wanted to go with him to the Semi-Formal.

"Darwin, are you alright?" asked Carrie, floating over to the goldfish.

"I'm just worried about Rachel, that's all," sighed Darwin.

"I saw Rachel. She seems to be just as depressed as Clare," said Carrie, concerned.

"I wish I had another to a chance to talk to her," admitted Darwin.

"You still care about her don't you?" asked Carrie.

"Yeah," said Darwin. "I should have accepted her offer."

"I'm sure Rachel will be fine."

"I hope so. Carrie, do you think you'll be able to help me find Rachel?" asked Darwin.

"Sure," said Carrie, but Darwin could tell from her tone there was something bothering her.

"Thanks, Carrie," said Darwin bashfully, stepping off the bleacher as they went to find Rachel.

Unfortunately, the prying eyes and ears of someone picked up on their conversation.

"So that's why my sister is so bummed?" Tobias exclaimed angrily. "My sister was rejected by the fishboy?"

Tobias stomped off the bleachers, planning to get some payback for what had happened to his sister. He just had to acquire some help to humiliate the Wattersons.

* * *

Gumball and Jake strode down the hallway, the coyote keeping a careful eye on the blue cat. It was the last period of the day and they were both returning to Miss Simian's classroom. Neither of them were thrilled about it. Jake could tell that Gumball was still thinking about the Semi-Formal.

"So, you definitely have a thing for this girl don't you?" said Gumball, breaking the silence.

"You could say that," admitted Jake. "Don't tell her that though."

"You're very nervous around her," Gumball said, grinning.

"If you say one word to her about this-"

"Relax dude, I just don't want you fumbling around when you try to speak to her," said Gumball reassuringly.

"I won't mess up," replied Jake. "Besides, shouldn't you be worrying about your date with Penny?"

"I'm totally prepared for it," said the blue cat, slicking back his fur confidently.

"I'll take your word for it then," answered the coyote, arching an eyebrow.

"Kelsey seems quite sweet. I can see why you'd have a crush on her," Gumball said, playfully shoving Jake. "Just try not to have your head in the clouds every time you talk to her."

"I'll try not to, but she sure is something. I've never met a girl like her," said Jake, grinning widely as he adjusted his backpack. "It's a blast hanging out with her."

"I'm sure she feels the same way," said Gumball, as he fiddled with his stuff.

"I sure hope so," Jake replied, as he entered Miss Simian's room for the last period of the day.

The classroom was dead quiet as usual. Miss Simian was nowhere to be seen and a glimmer of sunlight entered the room. A few of the students were already in their seats, waiting for class to begin. Jake noticed Tobias was glaring at Gumball as he entered the room.

'I wonder what his problem is,' Jake wondered as he made his way to the spot he usually sat at.

Jake left Elmore Junior High, springing down the stairs in a joyful mood. Most of the students were chatting about their plans for the evening, as they were all excited for the Semi-Formal. Even the last minute homework from Miss Simian couldn't keep his spirits down as he searched for Kelsey. He felt a light tap on his shoulder and he turned around, coming face to face with the fox.

"Good to see you here," said Kelsey, readjusting her grip on the books underneath her arm.

"It's great to be here, especially with you," said Jake, accidentally letting the words slip out. He hid his embarrassment behind a smile.

"I'm flattered Jake," said Kelsey, smiling back.

"Well, care to show me the way?" asked Jake.

"Sure, I'll help give you the tour once again. You think you can keep pace?" Kelsey asked, playfully getting into a running position.

"I know I can," said Jake, calmly getting ready to race her. "I'll let you have a head start."

"Your mistake!"

The amber fox took off, leaving the coyote in the dust. She stopped a short while after as the coyote started to catch up to her, leaning up against a streetlight. The coyote ran after her with renewed zeal, managing to keep pace with her as she skidded around a turn. The coyote had to seriously slow down and get back on track as Kelsey cut through the park. The coyote zoomed past a park bench, rousing an elderly man from his sleep.

"Hey watch where you're going, you stupid kid!" shouted Marvin crankily, as he straightened his hat and cane.

"Sorry about that!" yelled Jake as he came skidding to a halt. Kelsey had stopped at the lake.

"Doesn't this all look so peaceful?" asked Kelsey sitting down at the park bench and staring down at the crystal clear water.

"It sure is nice," sighed Jake, skipping a rock across the lake, and sitting down next to her.

"Yeah, I thought as much," said Kelsey, laying her backpack next to the bench.

"I bet being around Elmore as long as you have you've got some interesting stories," said Jake as they stared at the lake.

"I certainly do, this town is always full of surprises," said Kelsey as she watched the ducks move on the lake. "I bet Winslow was just as interesting."

"I think it was, when I was very young I used to go digging through my backyard looking for dinosaur bones. The neighbors were not too pleased when I started 'excavating' their yards as well," said Jake, chuckling at the memory.

"Aw, that's very cute," said Kelsey, giggling at this. "Reminds me of when I was younger as well. I went around my house with a microphone pretending to be a singer, and I'd have both my parents sit down to listen to my performances."

Jake couldn't help but laugh at this as well. "Really?"

"I'm serious," said Kelsey, bashfully.

"I bet your parents thought you were great," said Jake, smiling at her.

"They sure did, though they did encourage me to take singing lessons after the eardrum shattering performance," said Kelsey.

"I'm sure it will be great to finally meet your parents," said Jake. "Anyways, I believe you still need to show me the way to your house."

"Come on then, Jake," said Kelsey, picking up her backpack and books and walking towards her house.

* * *

"Is it true?" asked Tobias his sister, as they walked towards their house.

"Is what true?" asked Rachel morosely, staring at her feet.

"Did that good for nothing fishboy reject you?" asked Tobias angrily as Rachel sighed.

"Well, he didn't technically reject me," replied Rachel, carefully.

"Didn't technically?" asked Tobias, outraged. "Rachel, he just used you before running off with another girl instead! Don't you want some payback?"

"I couldn't do that to Darwin," answered Rachel, sighing. "I'll go to the Semi-Formal solo then."

"Come on Rachel, it's best to get even with those Wattersons," said Tobias, slamming his fists together and cracking his knuckles.

"Don't you think you're taking things a little too far?" Rachel asked, concerned for her brother's well-being.

"Look at what the Wattersons have done to us. I mean, just recently they destroyed our house when they tried to do my chores. On top of that, Penny fell for that dunce Gumball. What qualities does he have that I don't? Now you get rejected as you plan to go out to prom," said Tobias. "I've had it."

"Do you seriously think that this will solve our problem?" replied Rachel, a sad look on her face. "We should be fortunate for what we have."

"I'm going to humiliate those losers whether you're onboard or not," said Tobias, storming off. He was ready to get his revenge on the Wattersons, and he knew just who to find to help him.

* * *

It was early in the evening and Gumball and Darwin were both preparing for the Semi-Formal. Gumball was extraordinarily gleeful, his mind focused on his date with Penny as he got his stuff together. Darwin, on the other hand, was merely sitting on the bunk, still troubled by the day's events.

"Hey Darwin, do you think I should shave?" called Gumball from the other room as he inspected himself in the mirror.

"Gumball, you're covered in fur already, you don't need to shave," Nicole replied exasperated, from the downstairs.

"Right," said Gumball, stepping away from the mirror and going back into his room to check on Darwin. "Still just sitting there? Are you still bummed about Rachel?"

Darwin nodded, and Gumball sat down next to him on the bottom bunk. The young blue cat patiently waited for his adopted brother to say something, but he remained silent. Gumball sighed, running his paws through his now messy fur, trying to think of meaningful conversation topics.

"What do you say we see a movie on Saturday? It's been awhile since we've been to Elmore Cinema," said Gumball, trying to kickstart the conversation.

"Nah, I'm good," Darwin sighed.

"I know it's tough, Darwin, but I bet Rachel is still going to the Semi-Formal. I'm sure you'll be able to make things right," said Gumball, patting him on the shoulder.

"I just want her to be happy. Carrie too," said Darwin, his expression conflicted.

"I'm sure whoever you chose will be happy, and I'm sure Rachel or Carrie will accept your decision if you don't pick them."

"Thanks, Gumball," said Darwin, smiling weakly.

"Hey, I'm always here for you, brother, no matter what," replied Gumball, glad to see his brother in a somewhat better mood.

The two brothers sat together for a while, each of them appreciating each other's presence until Gumball spoke up.

"Now come on, it's time to suit up."

"Yeah, I guess," said Darwin, grabbing his black bow tie as well as black dress shoes from the bunk and standing up.

Gumball smiled as he grabbed the pieces of his tuxedo and readied himself for the dance.

* * *

Jake scanned his image in the mirror. The coyote staring back at him was fairly good-looking but a bit messy looking with his hair in his usually disorderly state.

 _'I've got to make a good impression on Kelsey and her family,'_ thought Jake, taking a comb off of the bathroom counter. He ran it through his hair, but it stayed in the same messy condition and merely popped back up when he tried to flatten it.

"Aggh," said Jake, annoyed. "This might take a while. Hey mom, care to assist?"

"What do you need help with?" asked Brooke, peering into the bathroom.

"Can you help me to get my hair straightened out? It's sort of fighting back," Jake scoffed as he put the comb down.

Brooke blinked at this. "That's the last thing I'd expect to hear from you."

"I know I'm a messy looking kid," Jake laughed. "I'll admit it."

"Come on, just try to hold still," said Brooke, soothingly running her paws through his hair before playfully tugging on it.

"Just don't try to remove too many of my hairs," replied Jake, almost wincing at the sight of seeing his mother picking up the comb.

"Ready?" she said, wetting the comb.

"Ready," Jake replied. The cold, wet comb ran through his fur with great effort to flatten it out.

"I think we might need a new approach," admitted Brooke, taking a bottle of hair gel from the cabinet.

Jake watched his mom go to work, battling the messy nature of his hair as she applied the gel to it to help flatten it out. After a lot of toil and trouble, Brooke finally finished straightening out Jake's fur. The coyote was still recognizable, but his hair appeared sleeker and he sort of resembled his dad more because of this.

"Now that's a young man I can be proud of," teased Brooke, placing her paws on her son's shoulders.

"Thanks, mom, despite the hard work you had to do, your son looks presentable," joked Jake.

"I'm proud of you regardless how you look, Snuffles," said Brooke, holding him in a tight embrace as they looked at his reflection in the mirror. "I'm sure your little sibling thinks the same way."

"Thanks, mom," smiled Jake, as his mom let go of him and he found his clothes for the Semi-Formal.

Jake stepped out onto the block looking sharp. He was now wearing a tuxedo complete with a light blue bow tie, and his hair was clean and no longer messy.

"Ready son?" asked Glenn, keys jangling as he walked to the car.

"Have fun Snuffles!" shouted Brooke from the doorway as Jake stepped into the car. They took off to Kelsey's house. Jake helped navigate, pointing out the way for his father as he tried to spot the right street sign.

"So, I heard from your mother that you've got a crush on this girl," said Glenn slyly.

"What?! She told you that?" asked Jake, startled.

"Oh yeah, me and your mother talk," said Glenn, wrapping his arm around Jake and bringing him in close to him before releasing him. "Congratulations son, your first crush. I'm proud of you. You're growing up fast."

"I'll be an adult before you know it," said Jake dryly. The older coyote smiled as the car reached a stop in front of twenty-five Parker Avenue. "You want me to go with you?"

"I think I've got this dad. Thanks for the offer, though," said Jake, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car. "Here goes nothing."

The Springer household was well kept. Jake moved down the walkway, past the vibrant green lawn up to the front door. The dusty brown coyote adjusted his silver cufflinks and light blue bow tie one last time before pressing the doorbell and the chime resounded. And the door opened up to revealed what Jake would believe to be Kelsey's dad, as he could see the family resemblance, specifically the short whiskers he had. The badger was still dressed in his work clothes as he was wearing sneakers as well as button up shirt.

"Uh, those flowers aren't for me, are they?" laughed the badger, as Jake nervously put them behind his back. "Philip Springer. To what do I owe the pleasure, little man? Nora, who's this guy?"

"I'd assume it would be Kelsey's date," replied an older fennec fox, having the same amber fur as her daughter.

"Right, thanks, Nora. What's your name son?" asked Philip, as the coyote gave him a strong handshake.

"Jake Wiley and we're just going as friends, that's all," said Jake quickly, his voice cracking.

"Kelsey will be down in a minute," said Philip, clearly not buying the previous statement. "I like you so far, little dude. Treat my daughter right and we'll get along just fine."

"Thank you, sir," said Jake, clearing his throat.

"Speaking of which," said Philip, grinning as his daughter made her way down the staircase. The amber fox was wearing a light green and silver dress, complete with a silver necklace around her neck.

 _'She looks gorgeous!'_ Jake thought, amazed, as Kelsey teased him with a small curtsy as Jake tried to find the right words.

"Wow! Kelsey, you look amazing!" Jake blurted out, unable to hold back the words.

"Thanks, Jake, and I must say you look quite dashing yourself," Kelsey replied, with a smile on her face. "So, shall we partner?"

"Let's," said Jake handing her his small collection of tulips to her. She smelled them and grinned as they left the Springer household.

"Good luck dear," shouted Philip as Glenn's car left the driveway.

* * *

Gumball waited impatiently for Jake and Kelsey on the steps outside the school, as Penny sat next to him.

"Maybe they're just falling behind," said Penny, hoping to ease her boyfriend's edge.

"I sure hope so, they're supposed to be here now," said Gumball, checking his watch and flattening out the wrinkles in his tuxedo.

"Just be patient, Gumball," said Penny reassuringly, grabbing his paw and patting it with her hand. "Besides, you've got company."

"That I do," said Gumball sweetly. "I just hope Darwin is out of his recent slump now."

"I'm sure Carrie will be able to cheer him up if he's still in the dumps," said Penny, leaning closer to Gumball.

While Gumball and Penny shared a moment together, the coyote and the fox left Glenn's car. Jake swore that his dad winked at him as he drove away.

"I never expected to see Elmore Junior High so lively," remarked Jake, noticing the bright lights coming from the school. "Looks like it'll be one heck of a night."

"On that, we can agree," said Kelsey, smiling.

"Dang, who's the sharply dressed sleek dog and his cute date?" asked a familiar voice from the stairs. Jake instantly recognized it as Gumball's voice.

"Gumball, you doofus! It's me, Jake," replied the coyote.

"Jake?! Boy, do you look different, what happened to your usual scuzzy look?" said Gumball, surprised and impressed by the new looks of Jake and Kelsey.

"I figured it was about time to look presentable," said Jake, fixing his cufflinks. "Come on, we've got a dance to attend."

"Agreed, but you sure took your sweet time getting here," said Gumball, as he and Penny walked arm and arm together up the steps.

"Well, enough chatting, let's go," said Jake holding open the door for Kelsey, Penny, and Gumball. They entered the school, which was full of vibrant lights flashing. Music blared loudly, and they could feel the ground shaking slightly from how loud it was.

"This should be fun!" shouted Gumball, to keep his voice audible over the booming music. "Come on, Penny!"

"Jake, are you ready?" asked Kelsey, grinning as the coyote looked at the energetic dancing of his friends and peers.

* * *

 **Thanks once again for staying tuned to The Outsider, you guys and gals are the best. Once again if you want to leave a comment or a question for me I'd appreciate that very much. Anyways, I've got to get writing part two, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Semi-Formal- Part Two**

 _ **The Semi-Formal is on. Darwin is stuck between choosing Carrie and Rachel. Also what retribution does Tobias plan to inflict on the Wattersons? Meanwhile will Jake reveal his crush on Kelsey?**_

 **Timey's Notes:**

 **Darwin. Stuck between two girls. What a c(a)lamity. Get it? Cause he's a fish? Clams and... Never mind. :P**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-It's always fun fun writing a new chapter with Timey, and if you have any questions for her I'm sure she'd be happy to answer too. Also, don't give me all the credit for writing a new chapter, she's a major help and offers great advice. Thanks, Timey!**

 **-I decide to reference several episodes from the show, particularly The Knights and The Points to create more continuity to the show.**

 **-Randal was going to make an appearance, but I thought it would be better to see him later on. Besides, it's not in his character to go to one of these events as he tends to isolate himself from everyone. So I decided Tobias would be a better fit for it.**

 **-This chapter bounces a lot from character to character, but I thought it would be necessary to see how each character prepares for the dance.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Semi-Formal- Part Two

**Here's another chapter of The Outsider, as always enjoy.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 12: The Semi-Formal- Part Two

Jake was having second thoughts. As much as he wanted to spend his time with Kelsey, he wasn't prepared for the dance floor. He yanked on his bow tie nervously, noticing a few of the students in his class looking at them. They were no doubt surprised to see Jake's refined appearance and to see this girl standing beside him.

A few of them blinked as if they were trying to figure out if they were imagining things. Jake just waved at them nervously as he and Kelsey walked through the gymnasium, which had been repurposed for the Semi-Formal. The sweet aroma of punch and different flowers filled the air and the floor was slippery with its newly applied layer of wax in order to buff the usually dusty and scratched floor.

"I don't really think that's a good idea," said Jake reluctantly, as he looked at the large crowd.

"Why not, partner?" asked Kelsey.

"I have two left feet and I don't have the moves," admitted Jake. Kelsey tugged on his arm.

"It'll be fun!" Kelsey insisted, smiling reassuringly.

"Nah, I think I'll be fine. Thanks anyways," said Jake, trying to walk off. Kelsey quickly tugged him towards the dance floor. "Hey!"

"Come on, loosen up! Show me your moves, Jake!" said Kelsey, gleefully dancing as the students around her looked in awe, waiting to see how he would do.

 _'I'm already on the dance floor and I'm with the girl of my dreams. What should I be nervous about?'_ thought Jake. He shook his nervous feelings off. He started to loosen up, enjoying the music and letting the rhythm dictate his moves. It started to feel almost natural to him.

"Now you've got it!" said Kelsey, smiling warmly as Jake showcased his dance moves without in the world.

Some of his peers actually applauded him as he moved on the dance floor, his confidence replacing his doubt. It was thrilling, dancing underneath the flashing lights. The coyote slid over to Kelsey, who was watching him with a grin. He couldn't help but smile as well.

"Not too bad for someone who doesn't know how to dance," said Kelsey, winking at him and giggling.

"I know, but I think my technique could still use some work," said Jake, as he pulled Kelsey by the hand back onto the floor. "What do you say, teach? Willing to give this wild coyote a shot?"

"I sure am. Just follow my lead and you'll do great. Ready? Here we go!" Kelsey exclaimed, before dancing wildly.

"Wow." Jake tried to mimic her moves, and messed up a bit, stumbling. Nonetheless, the coyote persisted and he continued to enjoy himself on the dance floor.

 _'This isn't so bad,'_ Jake thought, smiling. He was with Kelsey and that's what mattered to him; he was sure that this evening was going to be a blast.

Kelsey spun away laughing. She watched Jake dance and clapped for him.

 _'You know, he's a good guy. And he does look snazzy and a bit cute in his suit,'_ Kelsey thought. She found herself blushing and she turned away, hoping her coyote friend wouldn't notice. She decided it would be best to grab some refreshments. _'Is it weird I already like him? We just met.'_

Meanwhile, Darwin's dance was more somber. He was sitting on the unoccupied bleachers, alone with only his thoughts. The goldfish had reluctantly tagged along with Gumball, hoping Rachel might show, but she was nowhere to be seen. Darwin took another sip from his glass of punch, but the sweet and energizing taste didn't improve his bitter spirits. He wondered if Rachel was feeling the same way, and if he could make it up to her somehow if he found her.

 _'Well, it won't change anything if I just sit here and mope about it,'_ thought Darwin, deciding to get off the bleachers and search for Rachel himself.

"Darwin?" asked Carrie, noticing the goldfish looking for someone.

"Oh, hey Carrie," said Darwin, surprised to see Carrie with her hair styled and looking quite different from her usual self.

"I was wondering, would you like to dance with me?" she asked, nervously messing with her hair.

Darwin thought about it for a moment.

"Uh, sure I guess," Darwin said hesitantly.

"Great, come on then," said Carrie, floating over to the dance floor where Jake was still dancing happily. "Well, I'm surprised to see Jake looking this sharp and in such a carefree mood."

"I'm sure Kelsey had something to do with it," replied Darwin.

"Kelsey?" asked Carrie, not familiar with the fennec fox.

"Jake's crush. He just met her a few days ago, and well, he was sort of lovestruck by her," answered Darwin as the coyote shuffled off the dance floor, laughing. He soon noticed Carrie and Darwin.

"Hey, the dance floor is all yours," said the dusty brown coyote.

"I guess it's time then," said Carrie, offering out her hand for Darwin to take.

The goldfish looked back one last time, hoping to see Rachel somewhere. He sighed before taking Carrie's hand and dancing with her, knowing that his chances with Rachel were basically ruined.

* * *

Kelsey carefully poured punch into two glasses, one for herself and one for Jake. She smiled as the coyote leaned against the bleachers, wiping the sweat off his forehead and grinning at her. Kelsey was about to head over to her companion when she heard a faint sob over the music. The amber fox's ears perked up as she walked over to the source of the sound, noticing a girl on the next set of bleachers. She wore a very nice violet dress and was sobbing into her hands.

"Are you alright?" asked Kelsey sympathetically. Kelsey sat down next to the girl as she tried to control her sobbing, wiping away the tears.

"I'm fine," the girl choked out, looking up at the amber fox.

"It's alright. I'm Kelsey Springer, what's your name?" asked Kelsey softly.

"Rachel Wilson," hiccuped the rainbow lass, as she downed the glass of punch beside her.

"Listen, Rachel, do you want someone to talk to?" asked Kelsey, trying to comfort the upset girl.

"That's very nice of you Kelsey," said Rachel between sobs, as Jake sat down on the other side of her.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," reassured Kelsey as she signaled Jake to help her out as well.

"Did your partner ditch you?" asked Jake gently, hoping Rachel would respond.

"No, it's just the boy I wanted to go with didn't want to be with me," said Rachel, trying to control her tears.

"Do you want us to stay here with you?" said Kelsey, placing a paw on her shoulder.

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that very much," said Rachel, drying her tears as the coyote and the fox kept her company.

* * *

 _'Nothing can beat being with Penny!'_ though Gumball happily. The blue furred feline was having the time of his life on the dance floor, as he spun around with his girlfriend. The shapeshifter giggled at Gumball's somewhat absurd dance moves.

"What?" asked Gumball, as he paused at Penny's laughing, not understanding what was so funny.

"Nothing," said Penny, putting her arms around him. "You're adorable is all."

"You know it," grinned Gumball as he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "Thanks for being with me, Penny."

"Anytime, now shut up and let's dance!" Penny laughed.

"You got it!" Gumball exclaimed. He held Penny close as they danced together. The shift in music signaled a new song, giving the blue cat and shapeshifter some time to breathe.

"Ready for another round?" Penny asked.

"Always!" said Gumball, trying to loosen his stiff joints as he stretched his arms to the sky. He fixed his bow tie and cuff links and brushed the fur out of his eyes. "Just need a few seconds to cool off."

"Getting tired?" teased Penny, as Gumball straightened himself out.

"No way! Whenever I'm with you, I feel great," said Gumball, as he took her slowly by the hand and led her to the dance floor once again. They started to slow dance together.

"It's just one foot in front of the other Gumball," said Penny, watching Gumball's feet fumble around.

"Sorry Penny," replied Gumball nervously, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tried to correct his blunder. He tried to follow Penny's lead. The young cat eventually adjusted to this, following his girlfriend's lead through the steps.

"See, no problem."

Penny leaned closer to Gumball, locking him in a tight embrace. The blue cat closed his eyes and leaned in towards her. His only thoughts were about how incredible this moment would be, and that Penny's incredible radiance filled him with joy. Penny felt the same way about her boyfriend, and she was reminded of their first kiss as they shared the moment together, their lips meeting as they hugged each other.

Tobias watched them enviously. As Gumball and Penny danced together, a rage simmered in him. His sour mood was thanks to the Wattersons. He couldn't help but grit his teeth at the mere mention of their name. Fortunately, he had a plan to get his payback on them; he just had to time things right.

Tobias checked his phone for any messages as he creased his suit, waiting impatiently for any news from his new allies. For what seemed like an eternity, he got no response. Finally, a response was sent to him: 'We've got everything set up.' Tobias grinned as he exited the gymnasium. It was time.

Jake noticed Tobias's shady behavior as he left the gym. It gave the coyote an uneasy feeling the more he thought about it. He gave a quick sideways glance over to Rachel and Kelsey, who didn't seem to notice what he was picking up on. The coyote knew whatever that was going on had to be investigated. The whole thing didn't seem right. Jake got up abruptly from the bleachers, taking the steps two at a time.

Kelsey noticed his sudden departure. "Jake, where are you going?"

"Uh, the bathroom," Jake lied. He rushed out the gym, trying to catch up with Tobias. He hid around the corner, trying to pick up on the conversation.

"So what exactly is your revenge plot?" asked a deep rumbling voice that Jake instantly realized was Tina Rex's.

"What's she doing here?" murmured Jake, glancing around the corner before ducking back behind it. He had seen Tina and Jamie, looking the same as usual, while Tobias was in an extremely expensive looking tux.

"To raise them up in front of everyone and then humiliate them," said Tobias aggressively.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Jamie scoffed, clearly not on board with Tobias's plans.

"Listen, I'm paying you to follow my plans. I don't care about your personal opinions on this," said Tobias snidely.

"Whatever, just tell us what you're going to do," demanded Jamie, crossing her arms.

"It's simple; when the two Watterson brothers go up on stage to perform that's when we dowse them in red paint, ruining their evening," answered Tobias.

Tina snarled at this. "What exactly are they going to be doing up on stage?"

"Performing as part of their band that they like to call the WolfPac. That incompetent fool Cato Anderson wouldn't stop talking about it at lunch time. If we can get him as well, it'll be like icing on the cake," Tobias schemed. Jake prepared to leave, with a fair warning to his friends. However, the clattering sound of Jake running into Rocky's cleaning cart caught their attention. Immediately they cornered the coyote against the wall, and Jamie grabbed the coyote by his tuxedo.

"Look over here, it's the coyote who couldn't leave well enough alone."

"What's he doing here?" asked Tobias, recognizing him. "Snooping around and listening in on other people's business. Go on, Wiley, spit it out."

Jake knew not to answer. Jamie angrily tightened her grip on his suit. This didn't scare him, and he remained silent and stood rooted to the spot. Jamie drew her fist back, preparing to slug the coyote.

"Ah, it's no good, we're not going to get anything out of this useless runt," relented Tobias. "But since we can't have him blabbing to the others, we have to deal with him."

"Any ideas?" asked Jamie, rolling her eyes at Tobias's threatening statement. Tobias smiled.

The coyote found his mouth gagged and his entire body wrapped in thick ropes as he was thrown unceremoniously into the janitor's closet. He tumbled a short way, before getting to his knees and back on his feet.

"Wait here," laughed Tobias, slamming the door shut. The coyote rushed at it, crashing into it and landing back on the floor.

 _'What an incredible place you've discovered, Jake,'_ thought the coyote sarcastically. He tried to reach the door knob, despite his arms being tight against his body. He struggled with all his might to move his arms to reach the handle. _'I just hope I can warn them in time, but I'm not going anywhere when I'm like this.'_

* * *

Cato Anderson watched the events transpiring on the dance floor from backstage. Elmore Junior High was way livelier than it had been nights before. Rocky was the DJ, which made him chuckle.

 _'The odd jobs he does,'_ thought Cato as he tuned his electric guitar. The pale skinned boy was dressed in an emerald green tuxedo and looking sharp in it. He noticed Gumball and Penny on the dance floor as well as Darwin and Carrie on the floor. 'Weird, where's Jake?'

The coyote was a usual sight in Elmore Junior High, but Cato was surprised to not see any sign of him. Jake usually kept within the company of the Wattersons. Cato merely shrugged at this and went back to fine tuning his guitar. Principal Brown had encouraged the WolfPac to perform at the Semi-Formal and Cato had happily accepted, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to show his classmates his skills on the guitar. Both Gumball and Darwin would join him a few songs later to perform live in front of the whole school.

He might have been nervous about this under normal circumstances, but he was excited. He hoped that his classmates would be prepared for the excellent performance he had prepared. Cato tested his guitar, plugging it into his amp and strumming it. A large soundwave almost knocked him off his feet. A few students looked around, trying to find out what all the ruckus was about.

"Woah, rock on," said Cato, his ears stinging with the sharp sound. He straightened out his tux. "I ought to get the rest of the stuff set up."

* * *

Kelsey was wondering what was taking Jake so long. It wouldn't take him this long to go to the bathroom. Kelsey got up, placing her arm on Rachel's shoulder. "You'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," sniffled Rachel as she stared at Kelsey. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find out what's taking Jake so long. It wasn't part of the plan to take this long of a break," answered Kelsey, and this seemed to stir something in Rachel's memory. She jumped off the bleachers.

"We have to warn Gumball and Darwin," she said, shooting off to find them.

"Wait a minute! Slow down Rachel, what exactly is going on?"

"My brother is planning to humiliate them in front of the entire school that's what," answered Rachel impatiently. "If we don't warn them, something bad could happen."

"Alright, you find them, but do you think they've seen Jake lately?" asked Kelsey as she noticed Tobias leading Tina's gang back into the gymnasium. The pieces started to fall together. "If Jake had to leave, it was probably to overhear what they were saying. That means he knows what's going on."

"Right, you go find your boyfriend then," said Rachel, looking through the crowd.

"Uh, right," said Kelsey embarrassed as she headed towards the exit of the gymnasium.

"Hey girl, what brings you around here?" said Tobias with a whistle.

"I'm looking for my date actually," replied Kelsey, not liking what Tobias was doing one bit.

"Well, why search for your date, when he's right in front of you?" he asked, leaning against the door.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Kelsey said. She tried to walk through the door, only for Tobias to block her path.

"What's the rush? Don't you want to get to know me?" Tobias said with a grin, flexing his muscles. "I'll even show you these guns."

"Yeah, not interested," answered Kelsey, crossing her arms.

"Come on, aren't I just irresistible?" said Tobias, trying to convince the amber fox, who sighed in annoyance.

"Sure," said Kelsey sarcastically, tired of the rainbow lad trying to get her attention. As Tobias tried to get closer to her, the amber fox quickly opened the door and slammed it into his face, before departing.

"Ah, I see," said Tobias dazed, his face bruised from the impact. "At least I will be able to win Penny's hand after that simpleton Gumball gets what he deserves."

Kelsey walked down the halls of Elmore Junior High until she heard frantic banging coming from the janitor's closet. She realized a person was in the closet, no doubt Jake. She opened the door, and unfortunately Jake, who was charging at the door, went straight past it and he slammed face first into the wall. Kelsey ran over to him, concerned. She took the gag off of his mouth and quickly untied the ropes.

"Jake, are you alright?" asked Kelsey, gasping at the state of the coyote.

"I'm a lot better now that you're here," replied Jake, as Kelsey helped him to his feet. "Thanks for getting me out. I thought I'd never get out of there."

"Do you know what's going on with Tobias?" asked Kelsey, as the coyote brushed his suit off.

"I do, he's planning to dowse Gumball, Darwin, and perhaps Cato in red paint as a way to humiliate them," answered Jake, running his hands through his tufts of hair in order to straighten it out.

"That seems very petty," said Kelsey. "And I just ran into Tobias."

"I can imagine he tried to get your attention," replied Jake, walking off to the gymnasium.

"Yeah, it was very annoying. I was looking for you. Good thing Rachel is probably warning Gumball and Darwin as we speak."

* * *

Rachel tried to reach both Gumball and Darwin, who were dancing with their respective partners. The large crowd of onlookers on the dance floor wasn't helping and she tried to yell at them to get their attention. Finally, Darwin seemed to notice the rainbow lass, giving her a weak smile and walking off the dance floor to greet her.

"Rachel, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Darwin, I have to tell you something," said Rachel hurriedly.

"I know you have feelings for me Rachel, and I would have asked you out to the Semi-Formal," said Darwin, careful with his words as he didn't want to hurt Rachel's feelings.

"Darwin, this isn't about that," said Rachel, causing Darwin to pause at what he was saying. "Tobias is going to try and embarrass you and Gumball in front of the whole school."

"What for? What did we do to make him so upset?" asked Darwin, puzzled. Rachel sighed.

"He's mad that you technically rejected my offer to go with you to the Semi-Formal. He's also upset due to the fact Penny is still with Gumball."

Darwin thought about this for a moment. Tobias had never really held he and Gumball in high regard, plus it made sense that he was mad at Gumball for having Penny as he was often envious of his brother. The fact that he also rejected Rachel in a way would also just add fuel to the fire. Darwin looked into Rachel's eyes.

"Thanks for the heads up Rachel. Maybe I can try and talk Tobias out of something like this."

"Thanks, Darwin, it means a lot to hear that from you," Rachel leaned over and kissed the goldfish on the cheek before heading off.

Darwin knew what he had to do, and he interrupted Gumball's slow dance with Penny. The blue cat gave a disgruntled look at his brother as he pulled Gumball and Penny aside.

"Gumball, I just got some news from Rachel-"

Gumball interrupted him, raising his hand before Darwin could finish. "Look, I'm happy if you choose to get together with Rachel, but right now you have stopped me from dancing with Penny and I am very annoyed."

"No, this isn't about my dilemma at all, Gumball! Tobias is planning to humiliate us as a form of payback," said Darwin, hoping the message would get through to his brother.

"Alright, what exactly has he got planned?" said Gumball, shrugging. Darwin raised his fin, planning to give a response but stopped.

"I don't know actually," said Darwin, defeated.

"And I'm guessing we can't just waltz up to Tobias and ask him what he's got planned," said Gumball sarcastically.

"We just have to look out for anything," said Darwin.

Just then the voice of Principal Brown on the microphone spoke up over the talk of the crowd. "Good evening students, tonight we are going to have a special performance from a talented group of students that you might know. I would like to greet the members of the WolfPac on stage!"

"That's our cue," said Gumball, smoothing his fur as he and Darwin went on stage to perform.

The duo strode over to their spots. Cato was already waiting, his guitar slung over his shoulder as he plugged it into his amp. Darwin moved behind the drum set, picking up his sticks and playfully banging on the drums while Gumball grabbed the mike from Principal Brown.

"Hiya Elmore Junior High!" Gumball began. "I don't know about you, but this has been one awesome night so far, am I right?"

The crowd roared back a happy response, making Gumball smile.

"So, me and my friends here have prepared a special song. This one's an oldie, and it's just for you guys and lucky ladies," said Gumball, winking at Penny as he walked back over to his band mates. "You guys ready?"

"Oh yeah, one hundred percent," replied Cato, readying his guitar.

The band began to play with surprising synergy. Darwin banged away on the drums, and Cato jammed on the guitar and Gumball began to sing the lyrics in a smooth voice.

"Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans,

Way back up in the woods among the evergreens

There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,

Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode."

"Johnny B. Goode?" Jake laughed. That was when he spotted it: a load of paint buckets mounted from the gym's ceiling.

The paint buckets splashed around slightly due to the noise, and he noticed Tobias smiling from a safe distance. Then an idea dawned on the coyote: if he could get the WolfPac off the stage fast enough they wouldn't get dowsed in the paint.

"Since it worked last time," said Jake, grabbing ahold of the fire alarm lever. He yanked on it. Immediately, the stage cleared and Jake let out a sigh of relief. A furious Tobias stormed onto the stage, grabbing Cato's guitar from its spot.

"What are you doing? You fools are supposed to keep playing like this," said Tobias, jamming on the guitar. The second he did that, the paint cans fell from their perch and landed on him, turning his suit and body into a giant red blot.

"I sort of feel bad for him," remarked Jake, cringing as most of the students and teachers took notice of Tobias's blunder. To add insult to injury, some of the paint got into his eyes and he ran off, screaming about how the paint was burning.

After Tobias calmed down about the paint in his eyes, he immediately left, embarrassed. His shoes made squishing noises because of the amount of red paint still in them. Darwin tried to talk to him, but Tobias completely ignored Darwin, shooting him a dirty look on his way out of the building. The Semi-Formal had mostly cleared out and Carrie and Darwin were sharing one last dance.

"Darwin?"

"Yeah, Carrie?"

"Who do you love more?" asked Carrie, pulling away from him and looking him straight in the eye.

"Well, if I'm honest, it would be you," admitted Darwin, reluctantly.

Carrie smiled, touched by this before pointing over to the bleachers. "I think you should give another girl some company."

"Carrie-"

"Now it's my turn to leave. No girl should be alone on prom night." And with that, Carrie teleported out of sight.

Darwin smiled sadly before walking over to the bleachers. "How's your brother?"

"He's fine," Rachel said, twiddling her thumbs. "So, you and Carrie..."

"Yeah, we're together now. Officially, I guess... but I think I owe you a dance." Darwin smiled and Rachel beamed at him. He offered his fin for her.

They slow danced together, enjoying the moment. Darwin still had feelings for her and he knew it. Rachel leaned closer to him, smiling as they enjoyed the last dance of the night together. They finally broke apart as the music stopped.

"So, just friends?" asked Rachel, stepping back.

"Very close friends," said Darwin, as he and Rachel exchanged a warm hug.

Jake led Kelsey back home. He stopped in front of her house as he sheepishly ran his paws through his fur. The lights from the front porch illuminated the walkway ,and Jake looked at the stars in order to avert from eye contact with his crush. Kelsey smiled warmly.

 _'It's cute when he's nervous,'_ she thought, almost giggling at the fact.

"So, this is where we part ways," said Jake, still averting his eyes. "Kelsey, I just wanted to let you I had a ball at the Semi-Formal. Thanks for coming with me; it really was a blast."

Kelsey flung her arms around Jake, leaving him shocked as he was pulled into a tight embrace. "I was glad to go with you, partner. I'll see you around. Jake."

"See you. Kelsey," replied Jake happily, as she walked back into her house. The coyote leaped with joy inside. ' _She likes me, even if we're just friends.'_

* * *

 **Another chapter finished. This is the official end of the first act of The Outsider as I've introduced most of the characters and set up the story. As always feel free to ask questions, review, fave, follow, or PM me on the story. Thanks again and stay tuned for chapter 13! And I'll see you in act two, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Deep End.**

 _ **Jake's fear of water causes problems when gym class involves practicing swimming and diving, will the coyote be able to work things out?**_

 **Timey's Notes:**

 **All the ships are happening. They are happening. ㈏3**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Both Timey and I agreed that it would be good to acknowledge Rachel's and Darwin's romantic relationship as a lot of people ship them together. Considering the creators of the show don't really like Rachel and have basically gotten rid of her character I wanted to give her a role in this story and I figured I'd give them a bittersweet end to their romantic relationship remaining close friends instead, but don't worry I'm sure Rachel will find someone eventually.**

 **-I also wanted to show that Kelsey does have romantic feelings towards Jake, but it'll take a while before either of them start dating as they are both very nervous about it. For now, they're just friends.**

 **-I couldn't help but make some Back to the Future references as it is one of my favorite movies of all time.**

 **-The WolfPac is Cato's band and I figured they would make an appearance in the story, even if it was just a short one.**


	13. Chapter 13: The Deep End

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 13: The Deep End

Jake walked out of the locker room in his light blue and white trimmed swimming trunks. He readied himself, feeling queasy. The very fact he knew that he was going to go swimming gnawed at him. Fear and doubt filled him with each passing second. He wasn't one for swimming, he had never really learned how.

"For all the things I have to do this is the craziest," Jake muttered, annoyed at the fact he had no say in the matter.

"Hey Jake, are you alright?" asked Kelsey, as Jake got into line.

"Yeah, you look pretty bad," Darwin said, as the coyote seemed to turn a sickly shade of green.

"It's nothing," insisted Jake, burying his face in his paws.

"You sure Jake?" asked Gumball. "I've never seen you like this."

"Let's just say swimming isn't my specialty," said Jake, as he buried his face deeper into his paws.

"Why's that, Jake?" asked Darwin, turning around.

"Have you ever seen a coyote swim?" asked Jake.

"No," Gumball replied.

"Well, it's a lot of flailing and splashing followed by occasional bouts of drowning," Jake said, dryly.

"You're afraid," said Kelsey.

"I have aquaphobia; fear of water. So, yeah I'm afraid," responded Jake.

Gumball, Darwin, and Kelsey exchanged looks of concern.

"Maybe you should just sit out for this class, Jake," Kelsey said.

Before Jake could answer, Coach interrupted, "Mr. Wiley is up next." Jake turned chalk white at this, his mind racing.

"Okay..." said Jake, trembling as he started his climb up the ladder to the top of the diving board.

"At least I'm not afraid of heights!" Jake laughed nervously as he readied himself. Cold sweat poured down his face and he breathed deeply. "Just count to three and jump. Why does that sound simpler than it's actually going to be?"

"Mr. Wiley, you're holding up everyone else," drawled Coach from the base of the ladder.

Jake's legs almost turned to jelly as he catapulted off the diving board.

"One, two, three," said Jake rapidly, before he splashed down into the water.

The chlorine of the pool burned his eyes as he sank like a weight, and he touched the bottom of the pool. Every muscle in his body went totally rigid, refusing to move.

'What a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Jake!' He thought as he tried to will the muscles in his legs to push him out of the water. Panic struck him as his lungs started demanding air. Jake's muscles finally stopped clenching and he kicked off the bottom unsuccessfully. He floundered through the water, trying desperately to reach the surface.

 _'C'mon!'_ He urged himself, kicking harder off the bottom. He neared the surface of the pool, but once again to no avail.

Jake's vision faded as he continued to struggle. His body weakened as he gulped down mouthfuls of water. He felt himself sinking down to the bottom of the pool once again. The coyote's vision began to fade and he finally blacked out.

Next thing Jake knew, he was lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling and spluttering out water.

"You alright?" Kelsey asked. "You had us all worried! Don't ever something like that again."

"I just need to rest..." Jake said wearily, struggling to lift his head up.

"You got lucky this time, Jake," said Gumball, signaling most of the students to stop huddling around him.

"I told you I can't swim," Jake coughed. He shook his head, and his dampened fur sent speckles of water everywhere.

"Yet you're still foolish enough to attempt it?" asked Darwin.

"Well, thanks a lot," Jake said, scrambling to his feet.

"I wasn't the one who rescued you," replied Darwin. "It was actually Randal."

"You're sure about that?" said Jake, never expecting Randal to do such a thing. "I'm not used to having his name used in a positive light."

"Go ask him yourself if you don't believe me," said Darwin.

Jake glanced at Randal, who was grabbing something out of his backpack. Jake breathed deeply and mustering all the courage he had, he walked up to Randal. "Hey, you got a minute?" asked Jake.

"Yeah, what is it Jake?" said Randal. His black swimming trunks and gray fur were sopping wet and heavy.

It took a second for Jake to register that he had been called by his name; usually, Randal would toss insults at him. Jake opened his mouth, but he had difficulty finding his voice. Randal waited patiently.

"Why help me?" Jake asked, the words slipping out.

"Does it even matter?" snarled Randal, turning around and glaring at Jake.

"It does because you've never done anything for me," said Jake, his curiosity rising.

"I'd rather just have you say thank you and go on your way. Or do you want to go for another swim? I mean, I can oblige if you want," growled Randal, digging back into his backpack.

Jake couldn't figure the wolverine out. Randal had pummeled him several times before, then he dived into a pool after him to save him. "Randal, I need a straight answer."

Randal just rolled his eyes, annoyed. He grabbed his things and walked off, rubbing the scars on his face which were no doubt painfully burning due to the effects of the chlorine. Jake didn't realize that Kelsey was standing beside him, causing him to jump with surprise.

"Is he hard to get along with?" asked Kelsey.

"Definitely, he isn't one for company or kindness at all. Which begs the question why did he save my life?" said Jake, confused by the wolverine's behavior.

"I would have dived after you myself," admitted the amber fox. "But it seemed to me like he had it covered."

"That's very thoughtful of you Kelsey," said Jake beaming slightly, and the coyote could have sworn she was blushing if it hadn't been due to the fact that her amber fur sort of hid the fact.

Jake's mind wandered off Randal as he glanced at Kelsey, and he couldn't help but think she looked very cute in her bathing suit. Jake almost groaned as Gumball walked over, hoping the blue cat wasn't going to tell the amber fox how Jake felt about her. Instead, he walked up silently, clapping his hand hard on Jake's back and making the coyote grimace as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of swimming in time. All you need is a bit of practice and being less anxious," said Gumball, and it was clear to Jake that he was implying that he should be asking Kelsey out.

"You're off your rocker if you think I'm going for a swim anytime soon," Jake said, wringing water out of his fur as he picked up his towel and started drying himself off.

"I bet Darwin could get you swimming properly in no time," said Gumball, hoping to brighten his spirits.

"Did you not see me sink like a rock to the bottom of the pool?" said Jake gloomily, as he pulled his henley shirt messily over his head. "I don't expect to make any progress soon."

"Well yeah," admitted Gumball. "I couldn't swim that well and Darwin taught me."

Jake sighed at this, clipping his backpack back together as he went to the locker room to change from his bathing suit. It was simply no good, Jake knew he wouldn't make much progress and he didn't want to waste his friends' time. As Jake pushed the door opened, he was greeted by the steaming environment, as well as a growl from Randal. Jake felt uneasy as he saw the extent of Randal's scars, and he almost walked into the wolverine.

"Move along," growled Randal, as he went into a stall to change into his regular clothes.

* * *

The mystery of why Randal had dived down to save him troubled Jake all day, distracting Jake from his studies. Miss Simian had asked Jake three questions about the material they covered and he didn't answer a single one, as he was too busy thinking. By the time lunch rolled around, he wanted to talk to the wolverine finding his spot in the corner of the cafe away from everyone else. Jake sat down next to him and Randal didn't acknowledge his presence or tell him to go away.

"So about earlier... I just wanted to say thank you," said Jake decisively.

The wolverine merely grunted. Jake thought it would be best to leave, but something made him stay.

"You know, my offer about being friends still stands," said Jake, hopeful that this would at least change his demeanor.

"Not interested," growled Randal, as he finally turned to glare at Jake. "I only saved you because someone had to save your sorry skin."

"I guess that's fair. Good luck then Randal, with whatever you're doing," scoffed Jake, surprised that Randal had once again passed him up on the offer. As much as Randal didn't like him, Jake couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him as he didn't seem to have any friends in Elmore Junior High or at all. Jake sat down at his usual table, and Gumball and Darwin noticed his late arrival to the table.

"Where were you?" asked Darwin.

"I was just talking to Randal that's all," said Jake, shrugging. "He's still as cold as ever."

"Don't get me wrong Jake, Randal's not on Mrs. Robinson's level of evil, but nothing good can come from talking to him," said Gumball, shaking his head. "He's nothing but a moody wolverine."

"Care to repeat that thought, blues?" growled a voice they knew all too well, causing Gumball to panic slightly.

"Oh, you thought I was talking about you? No no, I was talking about another wolverine I know," said Gumball hurriedly, looking up at Randal.

"Watch your tone, otherwise I'll make you change your tune," Randal growled threateningly.

"Yes yes, of course," said Gumball, biting his lip as the wolverine turned to Jake.

"You forgot this."

Jake caught his backpack, making him lurch backward. And Jake gave Gumball a displeased look at this.

"What?" said Gumball reluctantly.

"You do realize whenever you open your mouth you make things worse?" said Jake.

"Sorry about that," said Gumball sheepishly as he started in on his meal. "So, planning on asking Kelsey on a date anytime soon?"

"Well," said Jake nervously. "I think we're just friends now even though I love her- I mean love to be with her; I mean love to do things with her."

"You're embarrassed, I think you should take a few cues from the love miser," said Gumball, smoothly.

Darwin sighed at this, putting down his sandwich. "If I remember correctly, didn't you head butt Penny when you were supposed to share your first kiss? Then there was the time in the tree house when you thought you were kissing Penny but-"

"Let's not bring unpleasant experiences back into this," said Gumball, clearly not wanting to talk about what Darwin was mentioning.

"Right," said Jake, hoping to move to a new topic. "Looking forward to winter?"

"I sure am! Do you think you'll be ready for your first winter in Elmore? It might actually snow this year," said Gumball, chewing a large bite of his sandwich.

"I think I'm set; Kelsey and I were planning to practice skating on the lake," said Jake, smiling. He had never seen snowfall in his days in Winslow and he was sure it would be a welcome sight.

"Ooo, sounds like a date," teased Gumball with a grin.

"Oh, shut up," said Jake heatedly, rolling his eyes.

"In all seriousness, that sounds fun and it's a great opportunity to get to know Kelsey better," said Gumball, patting Jake on the back at this.

"Thanks, I'm just hoping she'd be able to walk me through the steps before I end up going for another swim," said Jake, shifting in his seat.

"Well, she taught you how to dance better, I bet she could teach you how to skate," said Gumball, waving his sandwich an inch from Jake's face.

"She sure could. I bet it would help prep her for hockey, she really enjoys playing it."

"I didn't know that. Where is she, by the way?" Darwin asked, searching for the amber fox.

"I think she's sitting with the other girls at their table. I hope she gets along with them," Jake added hastily, starting to scarf down his food as he wanted to talk to her.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the start of a new period, and the class shuffled out from the cafeteria, dispersing down the halls to reach their next classes. The day proceeded as normal after this, with boring lectures from Miss Simian that seemed to make most of the class yawn and fall into an uneasy sleep until the elderly baboon woke them by loudly bellowing at them. Jake tried to stay awake, but his eyelids felt like they were made of lead, and he entered a state of lethargy. It almost took all his willpower to maintain a fraction of his attention.

"Mr. Wiley, are you paying attention?" shouted the ancient baboon, spraying spit into Jake's face.

"Ye- Yes Miss Simian," stammered Jake as his eyes flicked back open and he wiped the disgusting shower of spit from his face. Miss Simian sneered at the coyote as he concentrated, giving Miss Simian his undivided attention as she addressed the class.

"Your lacking interest in this class is all too apparent. Consider yourselves fortunate that I haven't got a pop quiz prepared for you today, otherwise you'd all find yourselves failing," Miss Simian said, peering over at Gumball and Darwin, before fixing her eyes on Jake, who felt his face burn with anger.

Jake had been pulling good marks in Miss Simian's class, but now the elderly baboon was bearing down with increased severity hoping to catch one of her students messing up. Recently, she seemed to be targeting the coyote in particular, mostly due to the fact that he was friends with the Wattersons, and by extension in Miss Simian's mind that made him some sort of loser as well.

"Now where was I?" muttered Miss Simian, finding her way back up to the blackboard as she started sketching new diagrams on the board.

The rest of the class was purely awful as Miss Simian randomly called upon students to repeat what she had just told them without using the notes they took to aid them. The elderly baboon mercilessly targeted student after student and none were safe from her wrath. She often yelled angrily at the students who messed up, Gumball receiving the most venomous of her retorts.

"Pathetic, just pathetic." She sneered at Gumball after he admitted he couldn't recall what planet Ganymede was the moon to. "The correct answer would be Jupiter. It's a miracle that you're even passing, Watterson."

Gumball seemed to be relieved at this, lifting his head up. "And by that I mean that you are just on the edge of failing," cackled Miss Simian, enjoying seeing Gumball's ears droop as he shuffled silently to his desk.

Jake gave an encouraging smile, hoping to raise the blue cat's spirits as he put his head on his desk. The end of the class couldn't come soon enough for the students as the clattering of the bell resounded and they left the classroom in a hurry. Gumball slouched as he walked out of the classroom.

"Don't worry Gumball, I'm sure Miss Simian is just exaggerating," said Darwin, as his brother skulked over to his locker.

"That class is hopeless," said Gumball, shaking his head as he opened his locker. "I'll be stuck in that classroom for the next five years before you know it."

Jake and Darwin exchanged looks at this. "Well, if you took notes that might help you."

"It's ridiculous, though," said Gumball frustratedly. "I'll never pass at this rate."

"Why don't you come over my house one of these days to study? You might as well bring Darwin over," suggested Jake.

"That sounds like a good idea; you could teach us a thing or two about the course material and tutor us," said Darwin as Gumball nodded eagerly.

"But you must want something in return," replied Gumball.

"If you could start teaching me how to swim when summer rolls around that would be fantastic," Jake responded, pulling his backpack over his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Darwin and the coyote motioned his thumbs over to the gym.

"For a dive in the pool. I'm not going to let a bit of water hold me back," Jake said with a smile, portraying an air of confidence despite being a bit worried. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

The pool area was dead silent as he entered the room. The only person who was there was Rocky, who was mopping the floor around the pool. Jake slipped through the doors, checking his surroundings. The sunlight entered the high windows, reflecting upon the shimmering pool, which looked as smooth as glass. The whole setting was serene as he walked over to the still water examining it.

"Hey Rocky, you don't mind if I stay here and practice swimming?" Jake asked, hoping the orange puppet could hear him, but he didn't answer him.

So the coyote walked up, prodding the puppet, who had his headphones blaring loud rock music. Rocky searched around for a moment before fixing his eyes on the small coyote below him.

"Hey dude, what brings you to the gym at this hour?" said Rocky, surprised to see him. "And how are things going for you, little dude?"

"Er- I was hoping I could practice swimming in the pool today, before the Synchronized Swimming Club shows up," replied Jake, setting his backpack on the floor. "Things are fine; I'm stilling getting used to this place that's all."

"Good to hear little man," said Rocky, dunking his mop back into his bucket and swirling it around. "Well, these floors aren't going to mop themselves. Good luck practicing."

With that, the orange puppet moved off in the other direction, continuing to clean the floors as Jake sped into the changing room to get into his swimming trunks again. The coyote emerged from the changing room and approached the water's edge cautiously as if he was expecting something was going to leap out of the pool and wrap a slimy tentacle around his foot.

The coyote tentatively dipped his foot into the water and shuddered at the icy feeling of the water. Jake ignore the numbing sensation and proceeded to plunge the rest of his leg into the pool. Just as he was clinging to the edge of the surface around the pool, about to plunge his torso into the cold liquid, the doors swung open to a surprising sight.

Tobias was squinting around as if looking for someone. He noticed Jake halfway into the pool and walked over to where he was at.

"Where's Darwin?" demanded Tobias.

"Well, I don't know where he is. I suppose he's not anywhere near here," answered Jake.

"I hear he's part of the Synchronized Swimming Club, and I need to talk to him," said Tobias, trying to sound casual, but Jake could sense there was a hint of anger in his voice.

"Oh, give it up Tobias," said the coyote, pulling himself out of the pool and shaking his head at this. "It wasn't his fault you were doused in red paint, that was-"

Jake caught himself as he almost admitted it was himself. Tobias glared angrily at him. "Look here, I was humiliated in front of the whole school if you know who did it to me I think I have a right to know."

"Well, maybe you should treat people a little better, because if I recall you had me shoved into the broom closet," said Jake angrily, an inch from Tobias' face and he was filled with white-hot anger at the rainbow lad.

The moment he had said this he regretted his words.

"It was you! You pulled the fire alarm, you caused my humiliation, all my troubles are because of you!" said Tobias, coming to the realization Jake dreaded. "I was king of the school before that!"

Jake couldn't help but roll his eyes at this, Tobias was many things, but the king of the school wasn't one of them. Without warning Tobias seized the coyote by the fur on his chest, causing him to yelp in surprise. In response to this sudden action, Jake tugged back Tobias's headband and let it snap back towards his face, hitting Tobias and causing him to stagger backward.

Jake wasn't looking to fight and merely wanted to deter the rainbow lad from grabbing his fur which was a bit annoying, but not too painful. Tobias responded in a fit of rage yelling loudly, grabbing him and dangling over the edge of the pool. Jake couldn't retaliate as he was too focused on trying not to unbalance himself and fall into the shimmering pool. Tobias raised his fist to knock the coyote into the pool, but someone else entered the pool room. Jake hoped it wasn't Miss Simian as he hoped he wouldn't receive detention for the next week.

"What's going on here?" snarled the voice filled with contempt. Jake's spirits sank, between Miss Simian and Randal, he'd take the cranky baboon any day.

"This isn't your business, ugly," said Tobias spitefully, clearly not recognizing who the wolverine was.

Randal didn't take the insult lightly, and snarled, cracking his knuckles. "Watch it, and I have unfinished business with the coyote. Step aside."

From the menacing tone in Randal's voice, Tobias should have let the coyote go, but he didn't. He scoffed at what the wolverine said.

"Not a chance."

"He's MINE," growled the wolverine, his face contorting with rage as he looked at the coyote with utter contempt.

"No way, you'll have to wait your turn," responded Tobias.

Randal hit Tobias with a powerful backhand, sending him off his feet as he quickly grabbed his foot. He slammed him face first into the ground before the wolverine placed his foot on his face. Jake managed to balance himself out and watched, too terrified to thank or tell the wolverine off.

"No one deals with the runt other than me. Do you understand! Do you?!" asked the wolverine in a surge of rage that left Tobias sputtering for words as the wolverine continued to press down hard on his face squashing it.

"Yes!" coughed Tobias, and the wolverine released him and Tobias scurried off.

"Uh? Thanks?" asked Jake in uncertainty as the wolverine turned to him. "But was that really necessary?"

"That was just good old-fashioned wolverine hot air," laughed Randal, his mood lighting for the first time Jake had ever seen. "If I had been serious he'd have half of his teeth missing."

"I see. Then you didn't actually come here to beat me up did you?" asked Jake carefully.

"Naw, but now since Tobias thinks I'm going to, I think I might have to," said Randal sarcastically, pretending to sound remorseful.

"Right..." said Jake, as Randal grabbed him up by the shoulder in a tight grip.

"I'd advise you hold your breath."

Suddenly Jake felt his body being plunged into the frigid water and dunked in and out several times as if Randal was taking measures to make sure he was doing a thorough job of making sure the coyote was completely soaked. The horrid experience finally ended for Jake as he was wrenched from the water and dropped rather onto the concrete floor. Next thing he knew he was stood up and he felt Randal messing up his hair for good measure.

"There. Just look a bit disorientated and you'll be able to sell the fact that I clobbered you," said Randal, a stern look on his face. "Speak a word about what actually happened and you'll have several bones broken, got it?"

"Thanks, Randal," said Jake with a weak smile, as he coughed and spluttered up the chlorinated water. "Both times."

Randal just gave a rather curt nod at this. "I still hate your guts, kid, but you've got courage. That's a quality I admire."

"Thanks, I guess," said Jake as Randal walked off, leaving the dusty brown coyote with his thoughts. _'I never expected something like that from him.'_

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait on this chapter I was a bit busy and I lost track of the time. Anyways, as always I hope you enjoyed the chapter as always feel free to write a review, ask a question (to me or my beta), fave, or follow this story. Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Drake**

 _ **When the Watterson brothers and Jake meet a new student how will their day pan out and what complications could this young dragon cause for them?**_

 **Timey's Notes: *gasp* Randal's actually... Okay? xD Who'da thunk...? :P**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I thought it would be very interesting if Randal saved Jake as it would make the dynamic between them extremely interesting and would add to the enigma that is Randal. It also shows as Timey said that he's got good qualities to his character, separating him from most bad guys that are restricted to doing evil things. It shows that there is good in him.**

 **-This is also the first time Randal has addressed Jake by his actual name.**

 **-Jake hasn't overcome his fear of water, but with some help in later chapters, he might overcome it.**

 **-I kinda had Gumball break the fourth wall in this chapter mentioning that he'd probably be stuck in Miss Simian's classroom for the next five years, which is how long the show has been around.**


	14. Chapter 14: The Drake

**Wow, over one-hundred reviews to my story, that's amazing and I couldn't do this without your fantastic support, my readers. I'm honestly surprised I got this far, but I still got a ways to go. Thanks once again, I hope all you guys and gals enjoy this new chapter.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 14: The Drake

The icy rain in Elmore was a surprise to many, as the students of Elmore Junior High believed snowfall was going to arrive. The freezing rain chilled all the students to the bone. Jake was waiting at the bus stop, with his hardcover history textbook suspended over his head to stop or at least delay the rainfall from soaking him.

Splat, splat, splat! The raindrops resounded as they landed on the front cover of his book, sliding off the surface, a few of them striking the coyote with an inconsistent shower of frigid drips. Jake silently pleaded for an end to the storm as his t-shirt began to stick to his fur, its cold surface making him shiver.

A thick haze obscured most of the coyote's line of sight, and small puddles formed around him. The headlights from the bus were a welcome sight as they cleared through the ominous fog. The bus stopped at the curb, splashing water over the coyote's jeans and the front of his shirt.

The doors swung open, a welcoming sign for him. Jake entered, his fur speckled with water. Jake's feet made squishing noises due to his damp fur. Jake found a seat next to Kelsey, who was just as equally soaked. Her amber fur had lost its usual brilliance, fading to a dull orange.

"So, wonderful weather we're having," Jake commented dryly, as the bus started to speed off towards Elmore Junior High.

"I know things aren't looking good so far," said Kelsey sighing, her damp bangs messy. "How are things for you?"

"Hectic. I don't think I told you this but my parents are expecting a new child," said Jake.

"Really? You're going to be an older brother," said Kelsey, apparently delighted by the news.

"Indeed I am," said Jake, a faint smile appearing on his face. Despite the miserable conditions, he was still excited at the prospect of becoming an older brother, even if the day was still far away.

"That's wonderful Jake!" replied Kelsey. "I would give you a friend hug, but considering we're both sopping wet I think it would be best to pass it up."

"I actually wouldn't mind," said Jake, grinning happily.

Kelsey leaned in and gave him a quick hug. Her damp but warm fur rubbed up against him, filling Jake with a warm, fluttery sensation in his chest as his heart doubled its pace. Jake almost wanted to cuddle up against her but decided it was best to wait for her to release her grip on him.

"Thanks, Kelse," said Jake trying to hide his affection for her.

"You're welcome, though you're like hugging a wet towel," said Kelsey, shivering slightly. "Remind me to never do that again while you're like this."

Jake couldn't help laugh. He outstretched his arms and pretending he had the intention of hugging her, causing the fox to shirk away into the corner.

"Oh stop it!" Kelsey laughed, batting Jake's damp arms away from her.

Jake was glad to be with Kelsey. She was one of the very good friends he had. Despite his strong feelings towards her, Jake couldn't help but always be a bit nervous around his crush. From what he knew he wasn't like Gumball, constantly being struck whenever Penny entered the room or did so much as look at him. He knew Kelsey liked him as a friend and that meant a lot, and most of all he didn't want to be forceful towards her if she liked someone else.

* * *

The students glumly filed out of the bus into the icy storm, taking measures to ensure they weren't soaked. The ones who had thought ahead carried umbrellas or raincoats. Jake and Kelsey looked at each other skeptically, wondering how they should proceed. They both rushed out of the bus with their book bags over their heads, hoping to avoid the shower altogether. They entered Elmore Junior High damp, but for the most part, dry.

"I wouldn't mind seeing it snow this year," said Kelsey, shaking off her damp fur. "I love the cold and fluffy feel to it, and snowball fights are always fun."

"Well, maybe we'll get snowfall soon," Jake said, fixing his sopping clothes. "But right now it's just cold."

"Can't argue with that," replied Kelsey, making eye contact with the coyote and drawing close to him. "Jake..."

"Kelsey," said Jake, his heart beating quickly as he smiled.

"I was wondering-" said Kelsey, before being cut off as Gumball and Darwin trudged up to Jake, splattering mud all over all over the place as they eagerly greeted him.

"What's going on, Jake? The weather outside is downright awful! We wanted to talk to you on the bus about something," said Gumball quickly, as Kelsey shirked away nervously at the arrival of the two Watterson brothers.

"Gumball-" said Jake, trying to stop him from talking.

"Because we were wondering if you'd like to watch Alligators on A Train with us since it's a rainy day and all. Then Darwin came up with the bright idea that you could stay the night and have dinner with us."

"Gumball," said Jake firmly, this time getting his attention. "I was talking to Kelsey before you interrupted and it looks like you scared her off."

"Oh, sorry," said Gumball apologetically, looking at Kelsey as she bashfully disappeared around the corner.

"We didn't realize," said Darwin blankly.

"It's fine," said Jake. His spirits sank, as he knew he wouldn't likely see Kelsey again today because they had very different schedules. He was sure that Kelsey wanted to admit something to him, but the interruption from Gumball had ruined his chances.

"I could help you talk to her if you'd like," Gumball said abruptly.

"No," the coyote pleaded, grabbing the blue cat by his sweater's collar to hold him back. "Please Gumball, you'll make it worse. If you meddled in this Kelsey might not forgive me for the feelings I have towards her."

"Come on," said Gumball, dragging Jake along the hallway as he was attached to Gumball's arm, trying to draw the blue cat back, but he moved forward, only slightly weighed down by his friend.

A group of girls stood around the lockers. Jake instantly recognized a group of familiar faces. Masami, Penny, Teri, Carmen, and Carrie were all huddled around the lockers, with the additions of Evelyn and Kelsey.

"Hey Kelsey, I believe Jake has something that he wants to share with you," Gumball smirked as he pushed a reluctant Jake forward. Jake felt embarrassed as the group of girls giggled.

"Hey Kelsey, did I mention that... I'm going to be an older brother?" asked Jake, avoiding meeting her stare.

"You kinda brought that up already," said Kelsey, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something else you'd like to tell me?"

Some of the girls gasped at the shocking news that Jake was going to be an older sibling. They looked on, waiting for what the coyote would do next. The coyote merely fumbled with his words, muttering and trying to come up with something.

"I think what he's trying to say-" said Gumball, but Jake covered his mouth with his paw, effectively muffling his voice.

"I've got to go. I don't know what Gumball's talking about; he's been saying nothing but nonsense when he was hit by that piece of golf ball sized hail. I'll catch you later."

"Uh, sure Jake," said Kelsey, as Jake stalked off his paw tight over Gumball's mouth. "I wonder what that was all about."

Jake finally loosened his grip on Gumball's mouth when they were out of earshot from the group of girls. The blue cat glared at him.

"One, I don't like being muzzled like a wild animal, and two talking nothing but nonsense? Are you for real?!" asked Gumball angrily.

"You've got a point, I should have said you spout nonsense all the time," said Jake dryly, receiving an even sharper glare from Gumball.

"I don't appreciate that remark," said Gumball, crossing his arms, an irritated look on his face.

"You're the one who shouldn't be meddling with things! After all, your mom meddled with your affairs and you didn't like it one bit," said Jake. remembering the story Gumball had told him about when his mother who interfered with his school life.

"Sorry about that. But if you like her go talk to her! I just want you two to be happy; you deserve each other," said Gumball. "And I don't want you to make my mistakes and miss your opportunity to be together."

"Your concern is appreciated, but I'm sure I can sort it out eventually and if not, Kelsey and I can stay as just friends," said Jake, a bit grimly as he and Gumball walked into something wrinkled. At first, they expected it to be Miss Simian but upon further inspection, it was someone completely different.

The small dragon had jet black scales that were leathery and rough, and his rounded snout drew backward as if startled at seeing them. A pair of wings were poking through the back of his green shirt, and he was wearing a pair of dark navy blue jeans.

"Uh, hello?" said Gumball, as the mysterious drake shirked away slightly. "What's your name?"

The drake didn't give an answer and it gave the look as if it was an unpleasant topic.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Gumball, as the drake tried to speak as if he almost couldn't talk. "Lost your voice or something?"

The drake gave an apprehensive look and responded with a shrug.

"Okay," said Gumball, trailing off as he stared at the young drake. Something seemed off about him...

"Are your nostrils smoking?" asked Jake, startled. Suddenly a burst of bright violet fire shot out of the drake's open mouth as he sneezed. Jake yelped, ducking down as the flames scorched the wall, leaving a dark black imprint were the coyote's head had been a few moments ago. Jake hastily put out the several strands of his hair that had caught fire with his wet paw.

"What was that for? You nearly took Jake's head off!" Gumball exclaimed, taken aback by the drake's sudden display of firepower.

"I don't think it was on purpose," said Jake, shaken, almost expecting another burst of flame to shoot out of the dragon's snout. "Was it?"

The drake fervently shook his head. He tried to apologize to the frightened coyote and the alarmed cat by helping the coyote to his feet. The coyote was grateful that the flames had been a near miss, otherwise, he might have ended up like a roasted turkey on Thanksgiving. The dark scaled drake was quite apologetic, brushing off the coyote's clothes to help straighten him out.

"My goodness, look at the time! We're five minutes late to Miss Simian's class! ...You do go to Miss Simian's class right?" added Gumball, quickly. The drake nodded and they set off to her classroom at a run.

* * *

They all arrived at Miss Simian's class, all panting and clutching their sides. They slipped into the classroom. Miss Simian was clearly bothered by this, as she had a scowl set out on her face. Gumball started coming up with excuses, muttering them to himself as if he were checking if they sounded plausible.

"What unrelated excuse do you have for yourselves this time?" Miss Simian snapped bitterly when they had just arrived. "As if I was expecting you slackers to be on time."

"Sorry, we lost track of the time," said Gumball apologetically, as his chest heaved heavily, trying to take in air.

"Well, unless you wish to interrupt the lesson further, you will take your seats NOW!" Miss Simian said furiously as the mismatched trio hastened to find open spots to sit down.

"Talk about going ape," muttered Gumball abysmally, as he heaved his heavy textbook onto the desk.

Jake pulled out his extremely waterlogged and damp copy of his textbook, flipping it open and pouring over it. Miss Simian handed out the worksheets she expected them to complete by the end of class. She seems to freeze slightly when she reached the drake's desk.

"I don't recall you being in my classroom," stated Miss Simian shrewdly. The drake opened his mouth to speak, only giving the impression he had a dumbfounded look to him when no words came out.

"What's the matter with you? Are you too unintelligent to speak?" Miss Simian cackled. She sounded so cold and cruel that it made Jake want to shout a retort back at her to get her to stop her shrill laughter. He didn't care if he got detention for the rest of the month, all he wanted was Miss Simian to stop laughing at her students. However, it was Gumball who acted first.

"Oh yeah? At least he doesn't have an ugly pink backside!" shouted Gumball savagely.

The class burst into uncontrolled laughter. Their roars made a deafening din in the classroom. That was the spark that set off the powder keg. Miss Simian's face turned the ugliest shade of magenta possible. Her face contorted in such a way Jake would not have thought possible. Jake wasn't even sure it was a face anymore; it looked like a very swollen moldy old prune.

"DETENTION, WATTERSON!" roared Miss Simian. "On Saturday for eight hours, for the next three weeks!"

Gumball scowled back at Miss Simian. Gumball had let his temper get the better of him this time, and no doubt Gumball's mother would be hearing about this. Jake imagined Nicole Watterson would be none too pleased if she heard about Gumball getting into trouble again. Gumball was shaking head to toe in rage, and gradually the classroom settled down enough for Miss Simian to turn back to her blackboard and continue the lesson.

The class didn't turn out as well as anyone had hoped. Miss Simian kept shooting nasty glares back at Gumball because of his explosive, yet effective way of leaving Miss Simian an extremely bitter mood. She seemed to take long pauses just to stare at Gumball as if he was some repulsive thing. Unfortunately for the drake, he sneezed, setting his paper on fire and it crinkled up into smoldering black scraps of paper.

When Miss Simian walked by to check how much of the assignment they had completed, she smiled wickedly and wrote down something that looked suspiciously looked like a zero. The drake grimaced and tried to give a response to this with hand signals pointing at the charred remains of his paper.

"Umm, Miss Simian?" said Jake, hoping he could dissuade the baboon from giving him a zero.

"What is it now, Mr. Wiley?" said Miss Simian pointedly, as Jake fixed his bandana.

"My friend over here sort of sneezed and his paper caught on fire. I can testify that he had just completed it," said Jake, pausing briefly, but Miss Simian had heard enough of what Jake had to say.

"Do you believe that I am incapable of teaching this class, Mr. Wiley?" asked Miss Simian, her teeth gritting dangerously.

"No, not at all Miss Simian," said Jake quickly. "I just believe-"

"I believe that you should hold your tongue in matters that do not concern you!" snarled Miss Simian coldly, her voice as icy as frost. "For insolence, you and the rest of the class will have a report on the usefulness of alkaline metals, and let's see here... At least five pages as well on my desk by Wednesday morning."

The class was thrown into an uproar at this, but Jake just sat there not making a noise at all. He knew it would be no good.

"Silence!" replied Miss Simian venomously, and the class fell silent. The quiver from the bell signaled the end of Miss Simian's class and the students scattered off to the gym.

* * *

Gym class proceeded about as well as Miss Simian's class did. The drake seemed to be unable to master his ability to breath fire and occasionally snorts of fire would leap from the drake's nostrils or mouth, setting a part of the wooden gymnasium aflame.

"Ahaa!" shouted Gumball and Darwin in unison, afraid of the drake's terrifying ability as he spat out another surge of purple flame that nearly hit Tobias.

"Can't you control it?" pleaded Jake, as the drake plugged his nostrils and closed his mouth in order to stop another burst of fire from exploding out of it. The sprinklers were then able to stop the raging flames. Jake's newly dried clothes were once again soaked. His clothes stuck to him again and his hair flopped down.

"Thanks, dude," Jake said, shivering due to the shallow pool of water at his feet and shaking his newly wet clothing. The drake mouthed something in return that Jake couldn't decipher.

"Excuse me- what was that?" he asked. The drake as he gave a frustrated sigh, marched up to his backpack and plucked a piece of paper from it. He frantically scribbled something on it and handed it to Jake.

'My name is Alex Dargan.'

"Oh, Alex is it?" Jake asked.

Alex nodded but stopped suddenly.

"Mind giving us a hand?" Gumball asked, lifting Darwin up from the floor who had fallen in the utter confusion.

"Come on Alex," Jake said, who noticed Randal had been watching him with particular interest. Jake noticed Randal's calm, almost composed demeanor while Jake helped several of the disoriented students get back to their feet.

"Ever the hero, Wiley," said Randal. There was a certain edge to his voice, and Jake couldn't tell if it was admiration or hatred of the coyote. Perhaps a mixture of both.

"You could help," suggested Jake, knowing his plea would probably fall on deaf ears.

Randal let out a cold, bark-like laugh. "What kind of world are you living in, kid?"

"Nevermind," said Jake sullenly, as he lifted Bobert up with great difficulty. "Come on Alex, there still is a lot to be done."

Jake with the help of Alex, Gumball, and Darwin found that the gymnasium was back in order to normal in no time at all. Of course, Coach was not helpful; she merely drawled about what a catastrophe it had been due to Alex's uncontrollable ability of fire breath. Jake had the feeling that he better understood the young drake and how frightening the fact would be if he could control something like that. Gumball seemed to be keeping a particularly close eye on Alex as if he was half expecting him to try to light Jake on fire.

Jake found this tiresome and he pulled Gumball aside. "Look, he's not going to set you on fire or anything."

"Well, you never know. The dude hasn't been the most reliable; he almost set you on fire this morning if you don't remember."

"His name is Alex and he's alright once you get to know him. Come on, Gumball," said Jake, steering Gumball over to the spot where Alex was standing.

"Alex, Gumball would like to have a word with you," said Jake, before Gumball had the chance to speak.

"Um, I just wanted to say that you must be having a rough day," said Gumball. "I know what that's like. It happens to me almost every day. Don't worry, though, you've got Jake and I, along with a bunch of others that will be sure to look after you."

The blue cat then offered out his hand for the black drake to shake. Alex took it and shook it firmly, a smile cracking over his face for once. The coyote was glad that both the drake and the cat were getting along fine now.

'It's good to see them finally getting along,' Jake thought, as he watched Randal quietly heading over to collect his things.

For a second Jake considered heading over there and talking to him. A part of Jake yearned to try to gain Randal's trust. He wanted to understand what had turned him into what he was. Was there something he was hiding? Something that had left him cruel and uncaring to almost everything? And the scars that wolverine had across his face were no accident. Jake couldn't come up with any speculations on how he had received them.

Alex seemed to notice that Jake was looking over at Randal and he nudged him to gain his attention.

"Huh, what?" Jake asked, his train of thought interrupted as Alex pointed over at Randal. "That's Randal Locke. He's not exactly friendly."

"Though he did save your life after jumping into a pool after you to rescue you," reminded Darwin, jogging Jake's memory a bit.

"That's true, but still, he isn't exactly a teddy bear," scoffed Jake, not wanting to discuss anything else about the subject of Randal. "Anyways Alex, I'm interested in getting to know you better. Do you have a notebook so we can talk a bit more on the bus?"

Alex looked positively delighted as he scribbled away on his notepad, no doubt having a great deal to tell his newfound friends. Jake sat on the bus reading Alex's notes to both Gumball and Darwin, who were just as excited to learn about Alex as Jake was.

* * *

 **Anyways I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Once again feel free to leave a review, favorite, or follow the story. Also, I'm open to any questions you might have, and what would you like to see as my readers,from The Outsider? My friend Steelwall5 owns Alex Dargan so ask him any questions about his character. Honestly, it was fun writing Alex's character so he could fit into The Outsider and I enjoyed describing how he tried to communicate to the other characters because he doesn't really talk. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, hang loose! I will see you in the next chapter. Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Skates**

 _ **Winter is just around the corner in Elmore. For those who look forward to the cold weather, there is plenty to do. And what will happen when Jake goes with Kelsey to practice his ice skating skills, what will go amiss?**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Unfortunately, Timey doesn't have anything to contribute to the notes this time, which is a pity, as her notes are usually extremely witty and often make me laugh quite a bit. Though I'm sure she'll have something to say in the next chapter.**

 **-I apologize for taking such a long time with this chapter, but I was cut off when I had to go on a personal trip and I returned a bit rusty on my writing skills. Then it took a while for Timey to look over the newest chapter. Though as always she did a magnificent job and deserves my gratitude.**

 **-Steelwall5 based Alex's design off of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, so I decided to give him the same purple fire that Toothless possesses as I thought it would be quite befitting to do so.**

 **-Once again Jake is having trouble talking to Kelsey, though can you blame him, he's got a lot of nerves.**


	15. Chapter 15: The Skates

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 15: The Skates

Jake yelped in pain as Randal's clenched paw connected with the side of his face, sending him to the ground. The coyote was in for the fight of his life. He was outmatched by the larger wolverine who showed no signs of giving up soon, in fact, he had seemingly been putting up no effort at all as Jake struggled to get to his feet. Pain pounded in his face, as he touched it, checking whether or not it had been bruised by the sudden impact.

"Aah!" said Jake drawing himself off the ground with great difficulty, noise buzzing in his ears and the world out of focus. The coyote gazed at the large crowd around him. Kelsey was trying to break through the dense crowd to get to him, a look of concern on her face as she battled the crowd. They had gathered in the hallways yelling words loudly making a jumble of noise that was hard to distinguish.

"On your feet!" snarled Randal yanking Jake off the floor gruffly with no concern for the coyote and pushing him into the side of the crowd. Someone pushed him back forward causing him to wobble unsteadily as he did a double take. Jake wasn't at all surprised to see Tobias there, jeering the loudest of all of them.

 _'No doubt he thinks this is just punishment for what happened to him, still I'd rather be against him than Randal,'_ thought Jake.

However, his pause ended up costing him as Randal thrust his elbow into the dusty brown coyote's face and he felt a sharp pain in his nose as staggered backward, losing ground and almost tripping over his own feet. This was followed by a swift uppercut by Randal that nearly knocked the coyote off his feet as he felt his teeth rattle from the impact. Jake took several more swift blows to his midriff, his body ached in protest as the sharp buzzing pain registered in his brain. The coyote leaped back making sure he was away from the gray wolverine's reach as he swung a surprisingly swift blow at him leaving him caught off guard.

"Come here runt, face me if you've got any guts," growled Randal egging him on, as the coyote felt a burning sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Jake charged at him, but Randal simply side stepped and grabbed the coyote by the arm before twisting it behind his back painfully and slamming his head into the wall. Stars popped in front of Jake's eyes as his head made contact with it. It was no good, Randal seemed to know what move he was going to make before he did it. He had picked a bad fight, that was not on his terms. Jake had accidentally knocked some of the things the wolverine was carrying over and he responded by socking him in the nose starting their scuffle.

"There's no speedster to help you this time," growled Randal forcing his face further against the wall and Jake tried to use every ounce of strength to fight off the wolverine, who seemed to find this oddly satisfying.

"I don't need him!" said Jake determined, trying to make himself sound braver than he felt. He struggled madly trying to wriggle his way free, but Randal responded by lifting his head back slightly and forcing it to have another head on collision with the wall. His head spun madly and he wasn't able to steady himself. Randal let go of him and let him crumple to the floor where he lay in a heap.

"Class dismissed," the charcoal gray wolverine snarled sarcastically. Leaving space for the dusty brown coyote as he left the hallway. He could see blurry shapes moving around him heading away from the spot he lay.

Almost immediately his group of his friends rushed eagerly to his side. Jake was slouched against the wall, his world was still spinning madly like his head would fall off and it felt as if a heavy anvil had been dropped on it.

"My goodness, are you alright Jake?" asked Kelsey in a caring voice, touching his arm as Jake gave a feeble smile.

"I'll be fine, my head just needs resting," said Jake hoarsely.

"That Randal has some nerve," said Penny darkly, looking down the hallway Randal had gone down.

"I think we should give him a lesson of our own," said the ghostly white humanoid, cracking his knuckles as if a rematch with Randal was what he needed.

"Forget it, Cato, I wouldn't be surprised if Randal was more prepared for you, this time, after all, you two were basically evenly matched the last time," said Jake wearily, his vision clearing up though his headache did not subside.

"If you insist, but I think we should keep our guard up," said Cato, walking up to the pummeled coyote.

"Yeah, that's a bright idea," said Jake grunting as he pulled himself to his feet. Randal had done a thorough job of pummeling him. Every bone in his body ached with pain as he got up and his body trembled almost unable to support himself as Kelsey put his arm over her shoulder to help support him.

"What you need is to relax Jake, get away from Randal for once," suggested Kelsey as the coyote let out a wince of discomfort. "Why don't you come with me to skate on the lake later, I'm sure that will ease your mind a bit."

"Good point," said Jake conceding to the fact. Randal was the largest of his worries, not to mention Miss Simian's mountains of homework he was yet to complete.

"You probably need a break Jake, after all, you seem to be a bit overworked lately," said Gumball, patting him on the back.

"Thanks, Gumball," replied Jake disoriented as he leaned heavily on Kelsey who ruffled his fur encouragingly.

"You'll manage Jake."

"Anyways Penny and I are going on a date, so tell us how everything went later on," said Gumball, an obvious grin on his face. "Have fun you two."

"We will Gumball," said Kelsey. "Do you think you need to head to the nurse, you do look a bit under the weather."

"You're starting to sound like my mother," muttered Jake, causing Kelsey to give him a piercing gaze.

"Well I'm worried about you," reasoned Kelsey, as she adjusted her grip on Jake's shoulder, clenching it tightly. "Now come on."

* * *

The dusty brown coyote was happy to be out of the school for once as he and Kelsey walked around the perimeter lake. Their feet crunched as they walked over the thin layer of snow that had gathered on the usual bright green lawn. Kelsey was carrying a pair of skates in each paw. Jake and Kelsey had traveled to her house and picked the skates up, and Kelsey's dad, Philip had kept a watchful eye on him, despite his warm greetings. Jake got the feeling that he was still a bit weary of the coyote.

They both stared at the glimmering ice sheet that had formed over the surface of the lake. Jake questioned how stable the ice would be and if it would be able to support his weight apparently Kelsey knew his line of thought had traveled to that point.

"Don't worry my dad and I skated on it two days ago, it should be perfectly safe, as long as we don't put to much force on the ice," replied Kelsey, zipping up her jacket and putting her feet into the skates. "Come on."

The amber fox strode out onto the ice with several powerful glides and stopped in the center of the lake, her paws on her knees waiting for the moment the dusty brown coyote would venture out into the icy surface. Jake gave a curious look, zipping up his forest green jacket, which was a gift from Kelsey. He laced up the skates, they felt a bit like lead weights as he tried to stand up on the icy sheet. His feet battled frantically to keep himself standing upright until his feet slipped out from under him and he was left with his backside plastered to the ice.

Kelsey giggled, smoothly gliding over to where Jake was sitting still lying on the ice. Jake gave her a bemused look at this as the amber fox placed her hands on her knees examining him and trying to hold in her laughter. The dusty brown coyote made an effort to get up on his feet slipping and swaying on the spot falling for a second time, this time upon his hands and knees.

"Need a hand Jake?" said Kelsey stooping down and offering her paw right in front of Jake's face. Jake grabbed her paw with his and Kelsey gave a heave lifting him up and holding him close to help him balance. "Why don't I walk you through the steps? Take my hand."

Jake grabbed her paw as she started gracefully across the lake leading him and holding him close to her side as she put on a burst of speed, lowering herself closer to the ground. She skirted quickly around the perimeter, and Jake felt his hand slipping from her grip from the constant tug and strain as Kelsey quickened her pace.

"Uh, Kelsey?" Jake started hoping to get her attention, however Kelsey was caught up in the thrill of the moment and his hand was wrenched from her grip as he was sent skidding and tumbling, he left the ice as he hit a small snowbank and rolled over it leaving several Jake-sized imprints in the previously unblemished snow.

"Sorry Jake," said Kelsey swirling over to Jake, sending particulars of ice splattering all over Jake. The sharp icy pellets bounced off of him and he shielded his face from the shower. "Ready for another go."

"I guess I am," said Jake, hopefully picking himself up and grabbing his backpack tightly as he wondered how he would perform this time. 'Hopefully better this time.'

"Well let's go!" said Kelsey smiling sweetly as she jumped down on the snowbank and helped tugged him up before she energetically skated around him snapping her fingers. "Follow me."

Jake accelerated trying to keep up with Kelsey as she leaped into the air twirling in midair and landing gracefully with a laugh and encouraging Jake to follow in suite. Jake launched himself into the air as well, though his attempt was not as well executed, as he grinded to a halt in front of Kelsey who was beaming happily at him, a look of admiration on her face. Jake, in turn, had a pleasant smile on her face as Kelsey took off once again as if challenging him to a race.

Jake followed, the icy air wiping in his ears as he set off after her. He felt the wind messing up his fur as he slid his skates forward in an effort to catch up. He whipped around the outside of the lake, neck and neck with Kelsey as the hurtled down the ice in a blur of color. Jake screwed up his eyes in concentration to see where he was going as the cold, dry air hit his eyes forcing them to water. With one last burst of speed Jake passed the fennec fox and skid to a halt digging his skates deep into the ice to stop his momentum.

"You were fantastic Jake!" yelled Kelsey in delight as she too came to a stop, though not before pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Well I couldn't have done it without you could I?" said Jake smirking as she loosened her grip on him.

"I reckon you would make a great hockey player, what do you say we have a go right now?" said Kelsey passionately. Jake could have sworn that if she wasn't currently wearing ice skates she would be hopping up and down with joy at Jake's success.

"Sure, I don't mind," said Jake, leaning over and catching his breath as Kelsey zoomed over to the spot where her sport's bag was lying in the snow. The amber fox hoisted two hockey sticks out of the bag with a puck squeezed between her fingers. She placed the puck down in the center of the ice and she tossed a hockey stick to Jake who had to leap into the air to catch it as he landed heavily on the ice.

"Come on Gretzky," said Kelsey as a smile spread across her face as she crouched down slightly nudging the puck towards Jake. The coyote blocked it forcing it to grind to a stop in front of his skates.

* * *

So, Jake proceeded with managing the puck shifting it from side to side in order to ensure it wasn't in the same place for too long as he tried to sneak it past Kelsey. The amber fox made a great effort to block the dusty brown coyote, nudging into him with her shoulder to keep him off balance. Still, Jake found it exhilarating to be on the ice as he battled for the puck feigning a move to the left before darting past Kelsey. She responded by throwing herself into the coyote's path forcing Jake to backtrack a bit. In a bold move, Kelsey almost collided with Jake he gave up the puck as she picked the puck from his guard. Admittedly, she was very good and Jake could see why she wanted to join the hockey team, she was an obvious natural at the sport.

"Hey Jake, you still awake there?" asked Kelsey, stopping in front of Jake who was gazing off, not bothering to go for the puck.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I just sort of drifted off," admitted Jake, a bit flustered at the fact. Kelsey stared at him curiously.

"What's on your mind Jake?" said Kelsey leaning on her hockey stick while she watched him with keen interest. Jake however fully took advantage of the moment as he thrust his hockey stick quickly forward catching the puck with his blade and pulled it back towards himself.

"Don't get distracted right now," teased Jake as he skirted away from Kelsey, a triumphant look on his face. She snorted with laughter at this before giving chase to the coyote and they battled intensely for the puck as glided across the lake. Jake darted to the side as Kelsey made a desperate snatch at the puck with her stick, catching the coyote in the legs instead and Jake felt himself wobble forward before he landed face first on the ice.

His body moved across the smooth glassy surface as his fur stuck and was tugged on by the ice. Jake skidded to a halt after a few feet of sliding and lay still. Kelsey hastened to his side stopping and kneeling down beside him.

"Sorry Jake, I didn't mean for any of that to happen," said Kelsey nervously as Jake let out a muffled reply a second before lifting his head off of the cold ice sheet. For a second Kelsey believe he was whimpering as he turned over to lie face up on the ice sheet, then it occurred to her he wasn't crying at all, he was laughing.

"Ouch, I could have seriously broken something, though," said Jake wheezing, no doubt because the wind had been knocked out of him.

"You had me worried sick!" said Kelsey defiantly crossing her arms as Jake lifted himself off the ice.

"Come on Kelsey, we both know that this isn't so bad, after all, I've got you to keep me company," said Jake, slinging his arm over her shoulder which she responded by moving closer in towards him. For a moment they sat on the ice as Kelsey turned towards him, her eyes meeting his as they leaned closer to each other until something happened.

There was a loud crack from the distant shore of the lake and both sets of eyes turned to see what was the matter. On the edge of the lake, they both spotted Randal, prowling around it as if he was deep in thought as he stooped down to pluck a smooth stone from the ground and hurtle it at the icy surface of the lake. The stone clattered into the ice and the sliding across the surface before reaching a stop a few feet from Jake. Apparently, Randal hadn't noticed them yet, either that or he was faking that he did not see them which he was doing a convincing job of doing so if he was.

"I will talk with him," said Jake getting to his feet and checking that his skates were on tight.

"Agreed, but first we should pack up our stuff, I wouldn't want to be around Randal if he's upset," said Kelsey grimacing as she skated to the part of the lake that was furthest away from Randal as Jake follow her. They quickly packed away their things as Jake caught a quick glance of Randal, standing by the shore, staring at the ice sheet while leaning against an oak tree.

"Why do you think Randal is here?" questioned Kelsey apprehensively as she packed away her things. "It doesn't seem like he has any good reason for showing up here."

"Well, I intend to find out," replied Jake slinging his backpack over his shoulder and looking at the charcoal gray wolverine who was just biding his time underneath the bare oak tree. "You go on ahead Kelsey, I'll catch up."

Kelsey tiptoed away, though Jake could swear there was a look of yearning in her face. He could tell she wanted to stay with him as she snuck away. Jake approached Randal with extreme caution, fixing his bandana as he walked up to him.

"What are you doing lurking around here, Randal?" asked Jake as Randal skipped another rock across the frozen lake. He gave no answer and he rubbed the scars across his face annoyingly as he looked at Jake with the utmost loathing. Jake would be lying if he said he didn't despise Randal just as much, as the charcoal gray wolverine glowered at him.

"And what brings you here?" retorted Randal as Jake frowned.

"I was hanging out with one of my friends," answered Jake honestly, but still he felt his paws curling into fists the more he looked at Randal. The wolverine seemed to let these words sink in for a few seconds.

"Friends?" growled Randal, but then it dawned on him and he gave a cruel laugh. "Young miss Springer? I'm sure you want to be more than friends, tell me coyote, what would you do if she rejects you outright?"

"Get lost Randal," growled Jake his mouth quivering with fear. Was Randal going to ruin his chances of being with her or worse hurt her?

Randal merely snarled at Jake, walking up to him. Jake had to look up at the towering figure of Randal waiting for the wolverine to act.

"So tell me coyote, are you afraid?" snarled Randal.

"No," snapped Jake back. "I don't see why I should be."

Randal scowled at this and tightened his fists. Jake knew it was only a matter of who would hit first. The wolverine and the coyote stood there for several seconds waiting. There was dead silence between them as Randal threw a punch at Jake, but the coyote leaped back onto the icy lake surface, the cold ice made his fur uncomfortable as it stuck heavily to his feet and he slid backward out of Randal's reach.

The icy lake surface offered Jake an advantage, it was a terrain that was hard for Randal to move on. Though Jake wished he still had his skates, as it was annoying to have the pads of his feet make contact with the ice or his feet to run through small puddles of water where the ice had partially melted. Randal seemed to hesitate for a second about whether or not to follow Jake, however he seemed to make up his mind as he leaped onto the ice, skidding across it as he tried to knock Jake over, the coyote slipped out of his way and hit him with a light punch that was enough to draw his attention.

Randal furiously swung at him again, and this time Jake dodge it, circling around Randal who was struggling to balance himself and try to fight the coyote. Jake dived down and kicked him hard in the shin causing the wolverine to topple slightly as one of his legs hit the ice, leaving him on his knees. Randal responded with a wild swing at him, but Jake danced out of the way, in an almost smug kind of way as Randal growled threatening before wrenching his leg off the ice.

"What's the matter, Randal? Having trouble?" taunted Jake, as he leaped over the crouched Randal who once again swung at him. This time, the blow made contact with Jake's back sending him to the ice and they both took their time straightening up.

Jake then threw a punch into Randal's shoulder that shook the wolverine as he let out a grunt of pain. The wolverine retaliated swinging at him, but the coyote dodged and rolled out of his way avoiding him. Randal snarled and swiped at Jake who again avoided him. Jake knew he was getting underneath the wolverine's skin as Randal let out an exasperated growled. Jake leaped high over another blow from Randal and swung lightly at him before being pushed back by the force of Randal lowering his shoulder and hitting him.

Randal lunged forward again just in time for Jake to meet him head on in a clashing of strength as Jake blocked Randal's powerful blow and then used his other arm to hold back Randal. Jake then freed himself from the lock by delivering a well-placed kick at Randal's chest causing the wolverine to slide backward. The wolverine dug his heels into the ice to stop himself and then Jake noticed something; the ice underneath Randal's feet had cracked slightly.

 _'If I can just keep him at that spot the ice will keep cracking underneath him and he'll fall through,'_ Jake thought as he clashed with Randal again who tackled to coyote forcing him against the ice, Jake felt part of the ice crack a bit more beneath them as they landed on it.

Jake staggered upwards back onto his feet as he made another swing at Randal who easily blocked it before slamming his fist into Jake's face, knocking him back onto the ice. The dusty brown coyote shook his head and clearing his vision. The ice was now severely cracked, the small cracks had spiderwebbed outwards as it crackled and strained to support both his and Randal's weights. Jake swiped at the wolverine's legs with his foot and managed to knock him down causing a loud cracking noise as the ice started to give way.

"You should have tread more lightly," commented Jake scrambling along the ice sheet as the ice underneath Randal gave way and he plunged into the icy dark blue water. Jake let out a relieved laugh from the edge of the hole Randal had fallen into. Then a charcoal gray paw came out of the water, seizing Jake's leg and tugging him under as well.

The icy cold water chilled Jake to his bones as he struggled against Randal. The water seemed to make Jake's brain seize up slightly as he found it harder to think with the cold pressure on his skull. The wolverine pulled him down further a look of fury on his face as he held onto the coyote in desperation. Both of them were running out of air as the remained below the ice and Jake kicked off of Randal's face sending the wolverine backward as he tried to find his way back to the ice hole through the murky water floundering through the dense darkness.

Jake spluttered in mouthfuls of the cold, foul lake water as he sped up reaching the break in the ice. He clambered up out of it, sliding his soaked clothes and body across the ice as Randal's head emerged from the hole. The wolverine clambered out, shivering madly. His black and silver leather jacket and his cargo pants soaked heavily. The cold wind did not help their predicament as well and Jake managed to hear the sound of cautious footsteps on the ice over the sound of his chattering teeth.

"What happened?" said Kelsey appalled, a look of utter shock on her face. "Did you get into another fight with Randal?"

Jake could see a look of disappointment etched on her face as she crossed her arms. He nodded glumly but did not answer as his teeth were chattering too furiously to give a proper answer.

"My goodness, you're both freezing, come on, follow me we need to get some warm clothes for you," said Kelsey, fully aware of the situation. She stopped dead in her tracks when Randal wouldn't move. "What are you waiting for Randal?"

"Why should I go with you?" demanded Randal with a growl as he eyed Jake with dislike. "I'm doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Don't be stupid, my house is right nearby, now follow me if you know what's good for you," said Kelsey coolly as she watched Jake nervously as they headed back to the Springer residence, Randal traipsing far behind so he wouldn't be near him.

* * *

"What happened?" asked Philip startled as he opened the door to let Jake, Kelsey, and Randal through the door.

"They both sort of fell through the ice," admitted Kelsey as Philip helped Jake through the doorway.

"First of all, they are probably suffering from hypothermia. First, we want to get them out of their wet clothes, don't worry, I'm sure I have clothes that might be a bit baggy for them but will work," said Philip rushing up the stairs two at a time to grab each of them a set of clothes.

In no time Jake was no longer shivering. Despite the Springer family's help, Randal left early once his regular clothes had been dried and he headed back to his house with a small 'thank you' to Nora Springer. Jake, on the other hand, was still waiting for his clothes to be done drying, so he sat at the kitchen table a mug of hot chocolate in his hand wearing clothes that were two sizes too big for him and with a blanket draped over his shoulders.

"Are you feeling better son?" asked Philip behind the counter, a look of genuine concern still on his face.

"Much better thanks," replied Jake tugging on the baggy collar of the t-shirt he was wearing.

"Kelsey was quite worried about you, I've never seen her look so nervous," said Philip suddenly catching Jake by surprise as he looked at the older badger. "She certainly has strong feelings for you."

Jake was thankful Kelsey was nowhere in the room as he flushed a bright red. "Well..."

Philip seemed to smile at this. "You're a good kid Jake, and I can see why my daughter likes you so much."

"Thank you, Mr. Springer," replied Jake taking a large swig from his hot chocolate mug before setting it down.

"I'm glad you had fun on the ice, just be more cautious next time," said Philip walking over to Jake and ruffling his hair. "That's not too much to ask is it?"

"Not at all sir," said Jake politely as Philip gave a warm smile. At that moment Kelsey and Nora came back into the room and the older fennec fox walked over to Jake, placing his clothes on a pile on in his lap and kissed him on the forehead. Jake was reminded of his mother as Nora shared the same tenderness that his mother had.

"You feeling better sweetie?" asked Nora, sympathetically.

"Much, thank you Mrs. Springer and thank you for the hospitality, all of you, but I ought to be heading home," said Jake abruptly getting up.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow Jake," said Kelsey, giving him a quick hug before pulling away.

"See you, Kelsey," said Jake as he walked out of the Springer household, waving goodbye to the family as he returned home.

* * *

 **Another chapter complete, thanks again my wonderful readers. Tell me what you thought of the chapter in the comments and if you like this story, feel free to favorite and follow. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Anyways, hang loose! I will see you in the next chapter, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Tutors**

 _ **Jake and Anais volunteer to help Gumball and Darwin study for an upcoming test in Miss Simian's class. Though both Gumball and Darwin are both having a difficult time concentrating.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Unfortunately due to a more busy schedule Timey will not be able to carry out her beta reading duties and look over my chapters. However, she was a tremendous help on the story and she deserves recognition for the hours and hard work she did on The Outsider. Thanks a million Timey. However, she might show up once in a while and review the story, which I still am very grateful for.**

 **-I thought it would be cool to see a new side of Jake as he outsmarts Randal and uses the terrain to his advantage against him.**

 **-I thought it would be nice to see a bit more of the Springer family and them interacting and caring about Jake.**


	16. Chapter 16: The Tutors

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 16: The Tutors

It was the start of those cold winter days in Elmore. The sun had almost completely lost its brilliance as clouds obstructed from view so often that the nights didn't seem so dark as compared to the day. The change in weather was also a bit startling for the most part, large sheets of snow now covered the ground leaving it powdery white and blindingly brilliant. The weekends were usually filled with cheery laughter, full of mirth as snowball fights and sledding were now a common past time, but for a certain group of friends it wasn't how they spent their free time at the Watterson residence.

Gumball Watterson groaned loudly as he flipped through the pages of his textbook. The blue cat was laying on his stomach on top of his bed sheets, as he turned to his paper to scribble down his notes unenthusiastically.

Darwin, on the other hand, had perched himself near the window to catch what was going on outside. He eagerly shot glances out the window to see what other kids were doing. A look of longing was on his face as he stared back at his textbook with disappointment.

"Oh, forget this," said Gumball heatedly, slamming his book closed and turning to look at the dusty brown coyote who still had his textbook drawn up against his nose. "What's the point of studying this anyways when I'm going to forget it the second I take my eyes off it?"

Jake lowered the textbook slowly away from his face, a blank look on it.

'This has to be the third or fourth time he's brought this up,' thought Jake bitterly as he tried to think of something to say.

"Well it's not like we're not trying," said Gumball, no doubt trying to justify his irritation of being couped up inside. "It's just that I reckon that an hour or two outside with some fresh air will give me some time to clear my head, right Darwin?"

"Yeah," said Darwin hastily, eager to back him up and adding quickly. "I'm sure we can get back to studying and have plenty of time once we get back in. After all, we've only got so much daylight."

Jake saw he was going to have a hard time convincing them otherwise to stay with him to study while they were this set out heading out there. Both Gumball and Darwin gave him pleading looks in the hopes to sway his opinion. The coyote set his textbook carefully on the floor, making sure to mark the page he was on before shutting it.

"Well," said Jake, fiddling with his thumbs nervously as tried to find a way to convince them otherwise. "It's best if we keep focused on the task at hand."

"Don't be such a bookworm, Jake," said Gumball, rolling his eyes. "I'm going outside."

With that the blue cat leaped off his bed and exited the room, leaving the door ajar. Jake then turned to Darwin, who was sitting with his legs crossed as he swiveled in his chair.

"He has a point you know, we have been working a little over fifteen minutes," stated Darwin, as Jake sighed in annoyance.

'They aren't taking things seriously enough,' thought Jake shaking his head as he got off the spot on the floor where he was sitting and followed Darwin.

As they went towards the downstairs they heard a series of loud bangs and fizzes out of Anais' room as they passed by. Jake wondered what all the commotion was about and tried to peek at what the small pink rabbit was doing. He only caught a glimpse of her hunched over several substances and swirling the contents of one of the test tubes around with the utmost caution. Jake knew it was best not to disturb the little pink rabbit when she was deep in thought or working diligently.

The downstairs was filled with the usual noises of a busy household as the coyote observed Mr. Watterson, glued to the t.v. watching some Spanish drama. Jake didn't know what was going on, but it was quite apparent the large pink rabbit did as he was yelling at the television hysterically in Spanish. Mrs. Watterson on the hand was fretting over a small stain on the counter cleaning it furiously, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Hey, Mrs. Mom, Mr. Dad we're going outside for a bit," said Darwin, trying to make himself heard over the t.v. and the loud yelling.

"Alright," said Nicole looking up from the stain as she was cleaning up. "How's the studying going Jake?"

"It's going well," lied Jake, trying to sound convincing as Nicole's stare was totally fixed on him and quickly added. "Mrs. Watterson. There's nothing to worry about, we're doing well, we just need a short break."

"I hope you kept them motivated, have fun outside, get back to your work as soon as possible, though," said Nicole giving them a stern look, as Jake replied with a weary nod before opening the door.

* * *

The outside was nipping at them with a bitter wind when they stepped out the front door. The icy air stung Jake nostrils and face as he stepped off the porch, tugging his coat tightly around himself to bundle himself up from the cold. A small flurry of snowfall was occurring as several snowflakes stuck to Jake's face and they melted instantly against the coyote's warm fur. Darwin gave a few feeble shivers as he tightened his scarf around himself and yanked his winter hat further onto his head. Jake walked over to where Gumball was lying in the snow walking with care where he stepped, for fear of black ice on the cement. The coyote was curious as he saw what Gumball was doing, it was like he was flailing around in the snow.

"Hey Gumball, are you stuck or something? Because I can help you out," said Jake curious of Gumball's behavior, causing him to sit up in alarm.

"You've never seen someone make a snow angel before?" asked Gumball incredulously as if he hadn't heard anything so absurd.

"Not really no, it looks more like you're flailing around in the snow," replied Jake in a sort of a bored tone.

"Just because this is your first winter in Elmore doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it," said Gumball, leaning back into the snow and continuing to make an imprint in the snow. Jake, on the other hand, stuck out his tongue and watched the small snowflakes fall onto it and saw them melt the second they touched the surface. Darwin meanwhile busied himself in the snow bank fashioning something in his fins.

Jake had never been one for withstanding cold weather, but he didn't mind as much as there was only a gentle breeze that chilled him. He observed the environment around him, there were even little icicles forming from the eaves of the house, shimmering in the pale sunlight as he looked up at them with the utmost curiosity, fascinated at their twinkling beauty.

Something splattered against Jake's head, something hard that startled him. But gradually he realized that it had melted and it trickled down the back of his jacket. He turned to see Darwin fashioning another snowball and Jake just dived out of the way at the right time, rolling through the powdery snow to avoid it. This, however, didn't deter Darwin as he hurtled several more snowballs at him before aiming some well-placed ones at Gumball, splattering all over him.

"Eugh!" said Gumball, wiping the snow off his clothes. "Alright, you're on!"

Jake leaped up from behind a snowbank launching several snowballs at the both of them and quickly rolling through the snow, disappearing from sight. Jake's first snowball grazed Darwin's scales as he ducked just in time. Gumball, on the other hand, wasn't as fortunate, getting a face full of Jake's icy fury.

"Whoa!" said Darwin startled as he peeked from behind a large patch of snow. Several more snowballs whizzed past him and he was forced to take cover again.

"Darn it!" said Jake in a mutter but still loud enough for Darwin and Gumball to hear him and send a volley of snowballs at him.

A stray snowball from the furious snowball battle that was going on hit a window and splattered all over the surface. Next second the window was wrenched open and revealed Anais' head sticking out of the window to look at them. She was standing on a stool to elevate herself to see them.

"Could you keep it down?!" shouted Anais angrily in almost a growl.

The chaotic battle down in the yard reached a brief ceasefire. Not before Jake took half a dozen snowballs to his chest and toppled over into a snowbank, who was content to stay there, melded into the fluffy snow. They all looked up at the window to see the source of the noise.

"Sorry sis," said Gumball in a kind of voice that was far from one that sounded apologetic, as he grinned widely. "Why don't you descend from your tower and mingle with the common folk?"

"In other words, why don't you join our snowball fight?" said Darwin hopefully smiling. "Jake could use a teammate."

"Shouldn't you be studying for that exam in Miss Simian's class?" said Anais, her voice losing its angered tone.

"Yeah, but we figured it would be best to get a bit of fresh air, however," said Gumball, fixing the collar of his jacket.

"Couldn't you do that somewhere else," said Anais, resuming her angry tone.

"Nah sis, these are ideal conditions for a snowball fight," said Gumball, showing no signs of giving up the fight as another snowball hurtled towards Jake's head.

"Boys!" muttered Anais, as she pulled her head back into her bedroom and tried to focus through the loud clatter and din from the outside even when she closed the window.

Anais tried to focus on the set of chemicals she was working on, keen on getting the right amount of lime green liquid into the other test tube, pouring several drops into it until a loud crash shook her window catching her by surprise causing the pink rabbit to flounder with her chemicals causing it to spill into the tube causing an explosion to occur in front of her face leaving black soot and scorch marks all over it.

"Gumball," growled Anais as she grabbed a cloth of her desk attempting to clean her face up from the black soot.

* * *

After an eventful snowball game, the two Wattersons and Jake trudged out of the cold, trailing snow as they entered the house, coming face to face with Anais. The little bunny's brow was furrowed and she had an annoyed look on her face as they approached her. She still had several of the scorch marks from her failed experiment.

"You three, upstairs now," said Anais, her face pale and determined. All three of them exchange furtive looks trying not to have Anais notice their shocked expressions.

Gumball seemed to look at her for several seconds before entering a fit of laughter in front of her, wiping tears from his eyes from laughing so hard. "Are you kidding sis? You have to be kidding."

Anais gave an annoyed growled at this before kneeing Gumball hard in the shin causing her older brother to fall silent as he yelled in pain.

"Ow," said Gumball, muffling himself to stop himself from yelling again.

"Boys, what is all this commotion about?" demanded Nicole sticking her head around the corner to observe what was going on.

"It's nothing," lied Gumball, hoping that he would avoid any suspicions until he met his mother's gaze.

"What's going on Gumball Tristopher Watterson?" demanded Nicole, and Jake could have sworn he saw the fire raging behind her eyes when she had said this. Jake also couldn't also help but snicker at Gumball's middle name.

'What kind of a middle name is Tristopher?' he thought to himself, as Nicole didn't let up at all.

"These loose cannons were disrupting my studies," said Anais, glaring at them.

"Loose canons? What does that even mean?" asked Gumball turning around to Jake and Darwin hoping for hints.

"It means we were off the handle," replied Jake, but Gumball only continued to give him the same blank stare. "You know, out of control, unrestrained."

"Oh, now I get what you're saying, well Anais' studies can't have been that important, can they?" asked Gumball, not at all bothered by the glare Anais gave.

"So Anais' studies are no importance to you, not even to be cautious around them?" asked Nicole, with a cold glare. "Richard, back me up here."

"Uh yeah honey, I'm sure whatever you're talking about you're clearly correct," said Richard, too focused on the television to give her any attention.

Nicole gave a groan and rolled her eyes, clearly not appreciating his lack of attention to the matter expecting he would have at least given her a bit of his time.

"Let me handle this Gumball, this requires a bit of tact," said Jake, hoping he could sway Mrs. Watterson with his words.

"If this doesn't work out let us know, I want a place to hide," admitted Gumball grimly, as Jake stepped forward.

"Mrs. Watterson, I take responsibility," said Jake boldly.

She glared a bit at him, but the coyote could tell her expression softened a bit at his statement.

"I alone am responsible because I let Darwin and Gumball outside, insisting that they should take a break," said Jake, not flinching despite the older blue cat's gaze. "I was the one who let them out, thus it falls upon my shoulders to take responsibility for our actions."

Nicole stood there for a second letting the words Jake said in rapid succession sink in as the coyote awaited the worst. The coyote had a mixture of fear and anticipation as the older feline rubbed the back of her neck. Much to his surprise however, Nicole's expression softened as she stared down at him.

"Well, at least you were open and honest with me Snuffles-" started Nicole causing all three Watterson siblings to snort with laughter.

"Snuffles?" said Jake startled that the older blue cat had referred to him with his embarrassing nickname.

"Oh, your mother and I talk a lot," said Nicole, an amused grin spreading across her face, as Jake buried his face into his paws.

 _'Of course, mom would do something like that,'_ pondered Jake, before fixing his shirt and putting on a false grin.

"Anyways, we should be getting back to work," said Darwin hastily, as his dusted off his sneakers of the thin layer of snow that had accumulated on them.

"Not so fast, as much as I'm going to regret this, in the long run, we're going to go to my room to study," insisted Anais, crossing her arms with a frown of disapproval on her face.

"Why?" asked Gumball, suspiciously.

"Because someone has to keep an eye on you and make sure you're staying on track. Besides, I'm sure I can teach you a thing or too on the material as well," said Anais, shrugging.

"But we've got Jake," said Gumball fiercely, looking at the dusty brown coyote.

"Quite so, but has Jake ever scored as high as me in the subject of science or history? Considering that I'm in the grade above him I think I'm better suited to be your personal tutor, no offense Jake," said Anais, holding out her paws defensively.

"None taken, I agree, you are quite a bit more studious than me after all," said Jake, beaming at her. He was happy that he could have Anais to ask questions to if there wasn't something he understood after all the child prodigy was quite knowledgeable.

"Well, lead the way," said Gumball, with a heavy sigh as the gang followed her up the staircase into the pink rabbit's room.

* * *

The room itself looked pretty normal. The walls, however, where plastered with many Daisy the Donkey posters, a Daisy the Donkey doll placed on her bed, and a Daisy the Donkey calendar on the bedside nightstand next to an alarm clock. There was a table with a rather large chemistry set that incorporated several test tubes placed in a stand each containing a different liquid one was a deep cobalt blue, another a bright orange, and the last one a lime green. Some of the other equipment was an Erlenmeyer flask, a Bunsen burner with its flame extinguished, two beakers, and a test tube holder. Almost immediately Gumball gravitated over to where the chemistry set lay, tapping each one of the test tubes to shake the liquid within.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Anais, yanking the majority of her chemistry set away from Gumball who frowned at her.

"What, don't trust me?" asked Gumball a bit annoyed.

"Believe me, after living with you for this long I've learned to not entrust you with certain things," said Anais, shaking her head causing her long ears to flop around slightly.

"Ah, come on what's the worst that can happen," said Gumball, grabbing the test tubes containing cobalt blue substance and the lime green and a beaker. The blue cat mixed the two substances inside the beaker, pouring a copious amount of the cobalt liquid into the beaker. The liquid turned a shimmering silver at this and appeared abnormal as it fizzed dangerously.

"See, nothing bad has happened," declared Gumball, no doubt pleased with himself as he brought the beaker inches away from Jake's face.

The unstable chemicals then sudden erupted, causing a massive explosion in front of Jake making a deafening sound. Gumball grimaced at the end result of what had happened. Jake's usually ruffled and spiked hair was now standing on end so that it was almost at a completely vertical angle. While the fur itself had taken on the appearance of a heavily soot covered fireplace, almost being jet-black and heavily scorched. The coyote stood there abashed as he took his dusty brown paw and tried to wipe the expression of shock and dirt from his face.

"Uh, there's a bathroom down the hall, I'm sure you can clean up in there," said Darwin, helpfully while Jake continued to wipe at the grimy substance covering his fur, yet only making matters worse as he smudged it horribly all over his face.

"At least it's not that bad," said Gumball, trying to give him a reassuring chuckle. The coyote didn't have any words for him. Instead, he just glared at him before whipping out of the room, in a bad mood.

"You've just proven my point," said Anais.

"Alright, I'll try not to touch anything, you've made your point clear," said Gumball, relenting as he took out his textbook looking it over from cover to cover before plopping down at the foot of Anais' bed looking through the textbook with a bored expression on his face.

Darwin followed his brothers lead sitting on a nearby chair and opening his textbook obediently as he started to turn through the pages. Anais was watching them intently to make sure they were actually studying as Jake re-entered the room, his hair smoothed down back into its usual hairstyle rather than having it standing on end. Fortunately, most of the black smudge on his face had been washed off.

"Just in time Jake, were just starting," said Anais, somewhat enthusiastically, handing him his backpack which he had recovered to the Watterson brothers' room. The coyote sat down cross-legged on the floor turning through some of his textbooks.

* * *

It was tedious work, Anais often corrected them, stooping to look over at their textbooks to see if they were learning their material, or checking whether they were taking proper notes. It seemed like Anais was spending a lot of time in front of Gumball and Darwin trying to help them through their work. Jake, on the other hand, thought he was doing rather well, copying down his notes on the American Revolution on the Battle of Yorktown and occasionally scratching his chin with the eraser on his mechanical pencil.

"Gumball, stop messing around," said Anais, peering over his textbook to see him on his held-hand video game.

"Ah, come on," said Gumball. "What gave it away?"

"I have never seen you that enthusiastic to study," said Anais smiling, seizing the device and placing on top of her table. "You can have it back once we've finished."

The work continued slowly with Anais coaching through them all the while. Gumball seemed to be getting a better grip on the material, only on occasion messing up dates and certain events with each other. Darwin, on the other hand, kept losing track why each event was important and Anais stayed in front of him patiently, giving him short bits of the information for him to memorized at a time until he got a hang of it.

"So, do you think you've got it now?" asked Anais, who was sitting in front of him as Darwin flipped through his book.

"I think so," said the walking goldfish, somewhat skeptically as he looked at his notes for reference.

"I'll be here if you need me," reassured the small pink rabbit, hopping off her chair and making her way over to where Jake was sitting. "So, you think this is working out?"

"I think it's going fine," said the dusty brown coyote, not looking up from a textbook.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" said Anais lowering her voice to a small whisper as Jake freed his eyes from the textbook.

"What about?" responded Jake, as Anais sat down.

"What do you think about being an older sibling?" asked Anais, keeping her voice hushed.

"I don't know, fear, excitement, and anticipation, the newest member of the Wiley family still isn't born" reflected Jake. "I suppose Gumball could tell you more precisely, after all, he's got you."

"That's precisely my point, Gumball never seems to listen to me, maybe it's because he doesn't view me as mature."

"Believe me, Gumball is immensely proud of you," said Jake smiling kindly as he continued. "You are his little sister, and because of that Gumball feels responsible for you. But don't believe he thinks anything less of you, in a way Gumball aspires to be like you."

"Then why does he never really take my advice when I suggest it?" said Anais in a hushed fury.

"It's because he would find it embarrassing to take the advice of his four-year-old sister, it would make him feel less responsible and incapable of making his own decisions," replied Jake with a sad smile. "Sometimes it's best to just steer your brother in the right direction rather than fuss over whether he's following your advice to the letter. That's your minor fault."

"I didn't- I don't fuss-" spluttered Anais furiously.

"It's just my opinion," said Jake calmly. "You're one of the most brilliant people I ever met Anais, and Gumball knows that. So do me a favor, and tell him how you truly feel about him, and show him that you care."

With that, Jake stood up and slipped out the door as he and Darwin went downstairs for dinner. The golden gleam of sunlight illuminated the bare carpet as Anais found herself in the room all alone with Gumball. The pink rabbit approached her brother shyly, hoping that the blue cat would listen to her words. Gumball was busy fixing his backpack trying to slip heavy textbook into it as he saw his little sister. For a second they stood in utter silence before Anais spoke.

"Gumball, I'm fortunate to have a brother like you, even though you sometimes don't listen," said Anais with an awkward grin.

"In all honesty, I'm sort of a lousy older brother in my opinion," said Gumball grimacing. "I mean, the amount of times I've gotten our family into trouble."

"That may be true," said Anais, and Gumball bowed his head slightly. "But I look up to you regardless, you have taught me things I couldn't have learned without."

"Me, teach you?" asked Gumball, taken aback. "I haven't taught you anything, I'm not a teacher."

"Just because you aren't book smart doesn't mean you haven't taught me lessons. You taught me the importance of family and friendship big brother, and in my opinion, that's something you can't get out of a textbook."

"Well Anais, that's really touching," said Gumball bashfully, as he gave a sheepish smile. "And to be honest I when I was growing up I always wanted to be like you. Intelligent, clever, and gifted, you don't know what I'd do to be like my little sister."

"Thanks, Gumball, though I think you're fine just the way you are. You've been a fantastic older brother in my opinion. I'll be a little less overbearing," said Anais, before plowing on with what she had to say. "Can you pardon me for all the times I was a little too harsh on you?"

"Of course I can, and stop praising me so much Anais," said Gumball heartedly, bending down and get on eye level with her and giving her a tight hug and lifting her up and spinning her in the air.

"Gee Gumball," said Anais, startled by his happiness. "Whenever you want to talk or need my advice you can come to me, big brother."

"Come on Anais, you're going to make me cry," said Gumball joyously, as he sniffled slightly.

At that Anais put her little paw into her brother's larger one, the blue cat didn't protest and beamed at her. The little pink rabbit then hugged close to his side, and Gumball responded by patting his little sister on the head comfortingly. The two siblings spent a moment enjoying each other's company before they too went downstairs to dinner. The small rabbit bounding up and down by her brother's side, while he grinned watching her.

* * *

 **Thanks once again for reading the newest chapter of The Outsider and stay tuned for future chapters. Once again, tell me what you think of this chapter and if you liked it then fave, follow, or review, also any questions are welcome. In the meantime hang loose! I will see you in the next chapter, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter: The Diploma- Part One**

 _ **Principal Brown starts to feel like he is inadequate to run Elmore Junior High, so as a result, he vows to go back to high school and get his diploma. This leaves Elmore Junior High in a state of disarray and Gumball and Darwin must scour the town for him.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I wanted to expand upon Anais' and Gumball's relationship in this chapter, showing them being at odds at first before they shared a heart to heart moment as they really do care about each other as siblings.**


	17. Chapter 17: The Diploma-Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 17: The Diploma-Part One

Principal Brown sighed deeply looking at his folded hands rather than look at the kids in front of him. He took another sip of coffee hoping that this would improve his state of wellbeing. The day had not been going well at all. He thought for a moment of just leaving the room and going to the teacher's lounge for a bagel or a different bite to eat instead of being here. His lingering thoughts were forced back to reality as Miss Simian spoke in her shrill voice.

"Well, Nigel?" asked Miss Simian glowering maliciously at the kids sitting before them in the office. "I think it's about time you decided their punishment."

"And what offense have you caught them doing that you carted them to my office at this hour of the morning," said Principal, yawning slightly before moving his attention politely back to Miss Simian.

"Well," said Miss Simian, hesitantly. "I didn't really catch them in the act, but they were acting very suspiciously, whispering undoubtedly about their plans to cause trouble."

"We weren't planning on causing trouble," said Jake firmly, a fierce look in his eyes.

"Then why the hushed voices then?" snapped Miss Simian, not at all convinced at Jake's defense. "Why the secrecy?"

"That's none of your business," said Jake, flushing slightly with color.

"Oh, so that's how this is going to be?" asked Miss Simian, heatedly.

"Enough!" said Principal Brown burying his face into his hands. "Until you can prove that Mr. Wiley and Ms. Springer were doing they are allowed to go free. Don't look at me like that Lucy! Yes, they can go free. Sorry to interrupt your day you two, run along now."

The dusty brown and the amber fox didn't need telling twice as they set off out of the office in a rush. Miss Simian had the utmost look of fury on her face. "How can you let them off so easy?"

"Please do not drag this subject up again," said Principal Brown massaging his temples as Miss Simian stared furiously at the door that Jake and Kelsey had just left out of. "You have always been soft on the students!"

"I've had this discussion before with you," said Principal Brown his brow furrowing. "They're just kids, not common criminals!"

Miss Simian simple let out a snort of false laughter at this. "These ungrateful little brats are hardly worth our time. They'd much rather pay attention to each other's words, or goggle at the people they're in love with rather than do a day's worth of work."

"That's quite enough," said Principal Brown with increasing frustration. "We'll talk about this matter later Lucy."

"But-" said Miss Simian, trying to continue the conversation.

"Go," said Principal Brown, trying to hold back his frustrations and waving dismissively at the door. "You have a lesson to teach after all don't you?"

Miss Simian looked at him grudgingly for a few seconds but stayed where she was. Eventually, she slinked out of the room without another. Principal Brown sighed looking down at his desk.

 _'This is really a thankless job,'_ he thought to himself, as he started to file away his papers in the correct order, shifting them around and placing them in his draw. _'I'm not even technically qualified for this after all.'_

Principal Brown tried to shake this thought. But it seemed to linger on as he absentmindedly picked up his microphone to give the morning announcements.

"Good morning Elmore Junior High, it's another lovely day. Hope everyone is keeping warm with the frigid weather."

He paused for a short bit thinking about how he was going to address the next bit of news.

"Unfortunately Michael Tolksy, the current president of our sixth-grade class has stepped down from his position. Thus, we will soon be having a new election for the class president. Anyone who is interested should submit their names to Miss Simian so they are included in the class speeches and in the running for president. In addition to that, tryouts for our school play will be held next week and those who are interested in trying out for winter sports, be sure to take it up with Mr. Small and Coach. Thank you for your attention, that'll be all."

And with that he to relinquish his hold on the button turning off his intercom as he resumed filing through his papers, looking shiftily to see if he had any unwanted visitors. His eyes darted back to the plaque that was painted onto his wall. He had failed mathematics in his senior year of high school and not bothered to return to Elmore High to complete it. After all, he was nothing more than a mere fraud who pretended to be principal.

 _'That's not true,'_ said a voice soothingly in his head. _'This school would fall apart without you.'_

 _'Yes, but I'm not qualified!'_ thought another part of himself as he tried to think what had made him so careless to fail his senior mathematics course.

Then a brilliant idea came to him. He could go back to high school. After all, it would be a fresh break, he could sneak out, and then attend the school and finish up and get his diploma.

Part of him wanted to rush out of the building and go to Elmore High at once, but he thought the urge, thinking it to be best to leave this task for another time. Then he envisioned himself, diploma in hand striding back into with a new air of confidence, a champion of the school. Students admiring him with his new award. This nice thought seemed to reinvigorate him slightly as he returned to his work with a new zeal.

"So, what exactly were you planning on telling me?" asked Kelsey in an interested voice as she brushed her amber bangs from her eyes.

"Uh, it was nothing important," said Jake, his voice casual enough to avoid suspicion. In truth, the coyote had been planning on confessing his feelings towards the sweet-hearted fox before Miss Simian had interrupted claiming that they planned to plant something in her classroom.

"If you say so," said Kelsey, not all that thoroughly convinced.

"Anyways, we should be heading back to our classes, have a good day Kelsey," said Jake with a smile as they parted ways to each of their class. Jake hoped he would be able to beat Miss Simian to the classroom so she wouldn't have an excuse to send him to detention.

* * *

Principal Brown woke up next morning feeling refreshed as he strode out of his bed. This was a start of his new opportunity to fulfill the career he had to achieve. After a hearty breakfast and taking care of his hygiene he walked out into the snow-strewn Elmore, letting his fur drag through the snow leaving the car in his driveway as there would be no need for it.

The gray dawn was a dreary welcome to the former Principal of Elmore Junior High as he searched around for the bus stop for the high schoolers. His frosty breath stuck to his glasses leaving them frozen over as he bumped into something. Startled he backed away seeing a blurry mass as he cleaned his glasses frantically.

"No thanks, I'm quite warm enough, you don't need to sell me any fur coats," replied a lanky teen, from the looks of him he appeared quite unconcerned with a pair of aviator shades over his eyes, and an unconcerned smile on his face. Despite the chilly weather, he was wearing a button up shirt with the front tidily tucked in, and a black vest. His white fur was as bright as the freshly fallen snow looking like fluffy cotton and his short whiskers gave him an icy appearance. The boy had to be at least a freshman or sophomore at the high school

The Arctic fox gave a wry smile as he looked down at his watch not bothering to pay the former Principal any attention. This annoyed him, the young boy had all the signs of a young troublemaker as Brown raised his voice the fox held up a black and white palm.

"No need to sweat it furry, the bus will appear any second now, but you look like your old enough to be my grandfather," said the ice-colored fox grinning.

"I'll let you know that I won't have any of this, not unless you do me a small favor," replied the former Principal crossing his arms, before falling to his knees. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"And what might that be?" asked the fox flipping down the shades to get a proper look at him. His daring eyes seemed to describe his reckless personality perfectly.

"Why did I have to say that?" murmured Brown regretting what he had said previously.

"Well, let me guess, you want your diploma?" said the fox with a grin and addressing the shocked look on the furry slug's face. "Oh, don't look at me like that, goodness you're starting to remind me of my mother. I can get you just about anything from the high school, I can even forge the principal's signature. Comes in handy for counterfeit hall passes."

"So, you're a con artist!" said Brown aghast.

"Con artist, is such an ugly phrase, but I think it would be accurate in this case," said the Arctic fox with a tone of hostility before his voice returned to normal. "Anyways, I know a guy who can get you on the inside, then I can just forge you a diploma."

"No, I feel like earning it, unlike you," responded the furry slug scornfully.

"Alright, if you insist," sighed lanky teen. "It just makes my job loads hard. How should I address you, sir, gramps?"

"Just call me Nigel," insisted the old principal, frustrated by the nicknames the teen had come up with.

"And I'm Sev, Sev Rooks," said Sev, as he fiddled with a bobby pin, straightening out. "Just sit tight, our ride will be here soon."

Sure enough no sooner had Sev said this the bus emerged from around the corner, belching it's diesel exhaust and Sev mocking beckoned Nigel Brown to the bus. The former principal coughed and staggered a bit as he followed the pure white fox onto the bus.

"Here it goes, the continuation of my high school education," said Nigel to himself as the bus speed up at a rapid rate.

* * *

Gumball walked from his locker, scanning the hallways. Something was amiss, however. He couldn't quite identify the problem, however. The blue cat shrugged off this feeling heading back to class and he sat behind his desk doing his best to focus on the present. Darwin, however, was sitting nervously perched on the edge of his desk.

"What's the matter?" said Gumball, taking note of Darwin's concern.

"It's Principal Brown, he hasn't given his morning announcements," replied Darwin, prying his eyes from the speaker in the corner of the room. "You don't think he was hurt do you, by falling into your locker again?"

"Nah, he might have just gotten lost," said Gumball trying to convince his younger brother.

"In his own school? I don't think that's possible," said Darwin, hushing his voice slightly so that Miss Simian could not hear him.

"Just relax Darwin, even if Principal Brown wasn't here, I'm sure someone in the school would take over and substitute for him," said Gumball, convincingly and Darwin seem to slide back in his chair a bit relaxing.

"Class I have an announcement to make," said Miss Simian, her shrill voice traveling through the classroom with ease, gaining the students attention. "Our principal as you all know is not in today, so, Mr. Small will be acting as principal for the day. Now that does not mean you can slack off as I will still be keeping a watchful eye on all of you."

"Does it seem to you like she's addressing William personally?" asked Darwin, in a careful whisper, barely moving his mouth to avoid notice.

"Well, he is quite literally an eye after all," stated Gumball quite obviously.

"Oh, ha ha," said Darwin sarcastically, turning forward more so he could get a better view of the blackboard, before a rather mellow voice came over the announcements.

"Hello students, this is Mr. Small speaking, not having a busy schedule as the other teachers I have taken the role of principal temporarily. No need to worry, my guidance counselor skills make me perfectly qualified to take over in Principal Brown's absence. If anyone needs anything from me do not hesitate to drop down at my, I mean at the principal's office and I'm sure I can console them in such a hectic time. That is all, have a wonderful day."

"Okay, things have just gotten worse," muttered Gumball, daring a glance at Darwin. "I don't think Mr. Small will be able to handle his new position. So I think we should track Principal Brown down to where he's actually at."

"A bright idea. I just hope we can get away with it while old whipper is watching us," said Darwin, hastily as the elderly baboon began handing out tests for the students to look over at the grades they had received. Jake gave them a nervous glance, wondering what they could be possibly talking about.

"We should wait until lunch time, that's when we'll have the largest window to investigate where he ended up at," said Gumball, as he checked his backpack. "I hope Penny doesn't notice."

"Well, everything will start falling apart if Principal Brown isn't here," said Darwin, determined.

"You're right, let's get ready for it just in case," said Gumball looking down at his previous test seeing he had pulled a B minus on it, before stowing it in his backpack. Jake gave a quick wink at him at seeing his paper.

As much as Gumball wanted to see Penny, he accepted that some things had to be done regarding the mystery of Principal Brown. The hallways were quite deserted as Gumball and Darwin stalked through them aware of the chattering cafeteria. Both of them had slipped into a storage closet when everyone else headed to lunch. The duo crept along unseen by their peers as Gumball tripped, landing face first outside of the principal's office. The door that was still ajar let out the frantic whispers of Mr. Small.

"No no, I can handle this. It's just like counseling, isn't it? But this job isn't exactly easy, I don't know how Principal Brown does it... I guess he just signs all of them, that should do the trick."

"See, this is exactly why we need to find Principal Brown, without him the school will start to run amok," said the goldfish fixing his brother to his feet.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here," said Gumball dashing by silently and pushing through the large metal doors outdoor to the snowy exterior. Darwin followed him out as he pulled on his hat and gloves over his fins.

* * *

Nigel was absorbed in the high school environment. So much had changed since he was a student here. The teachers had to be no older than thirty years old with a few exceptions. The furry slug was now draped in a large white t-shirt, sunglasses, and wearing a backward red and white baseball cap in order to look hip.

"You know all you're succeeding in doing is embarrassing yourself right?" said Sev, the cotton white snow fox sighed as the former principal waved his arms in front of his face in order to look cool.

"Dude it's totally frosty, don't get all fresh with me just because I go those mad skills!" said Nigel, causing a large crowd of students nearby snigger with amusement.

"Let's just keep it simple," said Sev, yanking off his aviators as if he'd be afraid to be associated with the furry slug for wearing sunglasses. "What do you think of the high school."

"It's fantastic, back in my day we never quite had so many gadgets and tools in the classroom, and the teachers know their stuff, I feel way smarter than before. I just need to pass that Calculus class."

"So that's why you failed to get your diploma? You failed mathematics?" inquired Sev, his ears perking up at the sound of principal Brown's confession.

"Oh yes, the shame, all I have is a false diploma painted onto the wall and the seal of authenticity is a banana sticker."

"That's unfortunate," said Sev shrugging. "But I don't really see the point of getting a diploma."

"Why not? They're dead useful in getting into the careers you seek to enter."

"Yes, but I believe my job lies not in the education of a high school, or by receiving a diploma," said Sev, a grin spreading across his face. "Something more along the lines of a swindler or smuggler."

"Those aren't exactly the most stable career options," said Nigel, shaking his head vigorously. "We should probably head to the cafeteria now."

"Yeah, but you might want to hang back, I've got a few more shady deals to work out," said Sev with a grin, slipping his shades back on over his eyes as he slicked back his fur. "Wish me luck."

The former principal muttered disdainfully under his breath, hoping the young rogue would get into his own fair share of trouble soon enough. In the meantime, Nigel swung his backpack over his shoulder, still muttering as he pushed the double doors into the cafe open in the hopes of finally getting a decent meal to fuel himself through the rest of the day. The wide array of foods beckoned from the serving trays as Nigel helped himself to anything within arms reach. He let the tantalizing smell wander to his nostrils that left him with a feeling of content as he seated himself at the table closest to the door, which he usually did when it was lunchtime for the staff in Elmore Junior High. And with a pang of remorse, he thought of his position at the school, hoping the students were all getting along fine in his absence.

* * *

"This is madness!" said Jake, his teeth gritted as the muzzle didn't allow his jaw to move much, it felt as if his mouth had been glued shut with a tremendous amount of force.

"Quiet him, he's a raging feral!" shouted Tobias indignantly as the coyote's jaw was wrenched shut tighter, leaving only muffled breathing from Jake as they tore through his backpack looking for his possessions and other valuables. Elmore Junior High was in total disarray and chaos, and there was little that their acting principal could do to keep the peace and quell disorder.

The scavengers, rummaged through his bag picking through lunch money and the rest of his valuables, picking through every last paper. "There's nothing that's good on him. Nothing but useless notes and homework."

"I can think of a few things that might fetch a fair price for the mistress," said Tobias, picking up the coyote's backpack from the discarded pile of Jake's gear.

Jake glanced up, putting as much loathing into his face as he could possibly come up with, looking at the stupidly war painted face of Tobias. The rainbow lad kicked him painfully in the ribs causing him to grimace as he was restrained and held down by the mass of cronies that had to be at least three or four other kids.

"Take him to the wall and hang him up as a trophy!" said Tobias, jubilantly swinging Jake's backpack over his shoulder as the coyote, fighting his captors was dragged off into the gymnasium, for a fate that was one he didn't look forward to.

Mr. Small sat cowering behind the principal's desk, unable to cope with knowing that this was all due for the most part because of his negligence. He rocked back and forth in placing hoping to calm his nerves as a chair was flung at his door, causing a frightening din causing the hippie to bang his head on his desk in confusion. Seeing stars, Mr. Small drew himself back to his feet, fixing his sandal straps nervously. Ever since he had tried to address Tina Rex he had lost his nerve when he tried to get her to stop shaking kids down for lunch money. Her response had been less than reserved as she tore through the school on a rampage causing a steady fall to anarchy, innocent students were caught in the crossfire as the school fractured into a bunch of random groups.

"You can put an end to this," said Mr. Small firmly placing his hands on the desk and straightening up from a slouch and striding over to the door and wrenching it open and striding out. "Enough of this!"

Mr. Small's angry yell seemed to resonate through the hallways, and the frantic chaos replacing it with dead silence. Several heads turned to where his was standing, their ears attentive or their eyes narrowing. The fluffy hippie's voice seemed to quaver and he fumbled with his words as the stares and glances of the students seemed to make his confidence deflate significantly.

"Would you all please return to your classes," said Mr. Small, losing his nerve as loud yelling and din drowned his words out. Tina Rex seemed to take notice the hippie's statement, growling as the acting principal retreated quickly back into his office, barricading himself in as the form of Tina Rex battered into the door almost with the force to knock it off its hinges as the whole office shook.

"What have I gotten myself into?" demanded Mr. Small, only receiving the deafening roar of the t-rex for an answer, as she slamming into the door sending the fluffy humanoid to the floor. As he frantically tried to get up the office door flew off its hinges as the short stubby arm of the t-rex groping for the teacher and she roared with fury. Mr. Small took advantage of this opportunity, backing away and leaning against his desk, breathing heavily as the voices outside his office died down.

"This day can't end soon enough!"

* * *

Nigel Brown had finally finished his lunch, cleaning his fur carefully with his napkin and brushing away the crumbs with a sweep of his hand. Unbeknownst to him, two of his students were perched overlooking the outside window.

"Do you have a good look at what's going on in there?" said Darwin, straining to boost his older brother up to get a peek at what was going on.

"He looks like a high school student, but his style is pretty tacky," observed Gumball, craning his neck to make anything else out. "He must have forgotten he was principal or he was taken against his will to this place. Now it's a desperate bid for two brave knights to save the captured principal from the evil clutches of the high school system!"

"I don't think that sounds right."

"You're right, something a bit more attention grabbing than that," said Gumball, not grasping what Darwin had meant.

"No, what if Principal Brown came here on his own accord to complete his high school diploma? Wasn't he always concerned that someone would expose him as a fraud? Maybe he's just trying to prove that he is capable of being a principal," said Darwin thoughtful, placing a fin on his chin. This caused him to stop supporting Gumball and they both collapsed like a deck of cards, falling to the ground painfully, leaving several annoying bruises over themselves as Gumball got to his feet.

"Well, it's decided, we're going to have to sneak into the high school and convince Principal Brown to come back with us and save the school," said the blue cat, brushing off his sweater as Darwin rubbed a small bruise on his forehead.

"We can't just waltz into the high school with no considerations whatsoever. I think we have to sneak inside undetected and blend into the Elmore High's environment."

"One way or another we're going to have to get in and out of there with Principal Brown," said Gumball determined, and Darwin nodded. They both agreed that getting their principal back was the highest priority, even if that called for drastic measures.

* * *

 **Thanks again for reading, if you enjoy this chapter, don't forget to review, or favorite and follow if you're feeling up to it. Once again, all questions are encouraged and I'll do my best to answer them to the best of my ability. In the meantime, hang loose! I will see you in the next chapter, Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Diploma- Part Two**

 _ **Gumball and Darwin attempt to break into Elmore High in order to convince their principal to return to school. Will their pleas fall on deaf ears or will Principal Brown straighten things out? And what of Elmore Junior High?**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I figured it was about time to focus on Principal Brown and the Watterson brothers instead of Jake and my OCs, so I decided to let them take a backseat for these next several chapters.**

 **-I tried to put in a plethora of references and nods movies and the show itself. I hope you enjoy them and if you figured them out, congratulations. ^^**

 **-I'm still on the hunt for a new beta reader, so if there is anyone who you think would do a good job let me know and I'll take it under consideration. Also, but sure to add your own two cents in I'd be happy to hear it.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Diploma- Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 18: The Diploma- Part Two

Jake's vision swam in and out of consciousness as the experience was sickening as his eyes snapped open. Tobias' cronies had tied the coyote to the climbing wall and hung him upside down from his ankles. Jake's face was shining as red as the sun from humiliation and blood flow. He curled himself upwards, fumbling at the ropes that held his feet to the rock wall and trying in vain to loosen them and he eventually fell back to where he was positioned letting out a strained groan. The goons had left nothing to chance as they had bound his hands together as well. Jake now redoubled his efforts, this time, attacking at the chords that bound his hands together as he yanked at them, but it did little to ease his predicament. The dusty brown coyote calmed himself, as focused all his efforts on removing the bonds from his hands as he fumbled around for the bit of cord that was just between his paws. Finally finding it he began to unravel the thick bonds as he heard a resounding roar from a colossal beast. No doubt Tina Rex, causing the massive stir and frightening the bound up coyote who managed to bite his tongue to avoid saying anything, although his muzzle already did a good enough job at that.

It was easy to see that things were not looking up for Elmore Junior High, from what the suspended coyote could tell things weren't looking up for the school in the absence of Principal Brown. The ruined gymnasium had the various loot of students' stuff hoarded on it as Tina Rex prowled around it, observing it.

Jake couldn't help but think of her father at this. From what he had heard Mr. Rex had all the same tendencies that her daughter had, from hoarding stuff of value, to the same easy to set off anger. Jake drew his attention back to freeing his paws, that he was beginning to wriggle free of the bindings.

* * *

Gumball fixed his disguise, turning his hat backward, which ruffled his fur annoyingly. The pair of basketball shoes that he was wearing elevated him slightly, so he looked a little taller and he now had changed out of his sweater into a black hoodie and gray pants. Darwin, on the other hand, changed his sneakers to a pair of solid white shoes.

"Ah, this outfit is so itchy, sure we can't try something else out?" asked the blue cat a bit exasperated as he brushed his fur out of his eyes. "I don't see why high schoolers wear stuff like this, it's so uncomfortable."

"It's not that bad, try not to trip Gumball, your new jeans are a bit long," warned Darwin as his brother almost stumbled up the front steps.

"I'll keep that in mind, did you see where Principal Brown was heading last?" asked Gumball, placing his paws in his pockets and slouching slightly.

"Last I saw it looked like he was heading to the library," admitted Darwin. "We should be able to sneak and follow him undetected if we're both careful."

"Okay, I'm sure we'll have no trouble," said Gumball as he and Darwin quietly snuck through the doors. They notice the front desk almost obscured from view by the towering high school students. They were like titans compared to the small stature of the blue cat and goldfish, as they hastened to avoid them. In the confusion, Gumball felt himself and Darwin get steered into a crowd of small freshman about their size, that traveled in a small pack down the hallways, almost as if huddled together for protection. The two brothers were swept through the crowd before reaching a classroom and being piled inside. There was a pattern to the students as they hasten to grab seats next to friends in their earnest, while the two boys stood dumbfounded in the center of the room.

The door open to reveal a radiant woman, who seem to float into the classroom with easy, her fiery red hair flowing behind her as she took up the front of the room.

"Good morning class," she said in a sweet voice as she took up the front of the class, looking down at her attendance sheet as Gumball and Darwin scooted into seats in their haste.

"Morning Ms. Fletcher," droned the class unenthusiastically in unison, causing her to look up and give them a skeptical look. She hastily turned back to her attendance sheet checking it off while counting the heads of the students and in response Gumball and Darwin slouched further down into their seats hoping to avoid notice.

"Now, class did you read chapter 18 of your biology textbooks? said Ms. Fletcher scanning the classroom with a strong gaze at them as if looking for any sign of guilt in their expressions.

"Yes," replied the class with weary voices.

Ms. Fletcher nodded in approval. Turning to her blackboard she began highlighting important points from the chapter, occasionally pausing for thought while she compressed the chapter into a short paragraph on the blackboard. The students removed notebooks from their backpacks. As far as Gumball could tell, their notes were quite extensive covering a large proportion of their books, being over halfway full. On the other hand, it didn't take long for Gumball and Darwin to realize that Ms. Fletcher was an expert at work as she brushed the blackboard clean before moving back to writing on it despite the fact her hands were covered in a thick layer of white chalk and the board was still smeared with the white powder.

"Do you now understand why amino acids are important?" asked Ms. Fletcher rhetorically as she plowed on. "They are the basic building blocks for proteins-"

The bell rang at this exact moment cutting Ms. Fletcher off as they packed up their notes. Gumball and Darwin stood up slightly disoriented as they had hardly understood the material and the advanced definitions such as monomers, polymers, and the four basic types of biological molecules.

"Make sure you read on lipids, and I expect you to complete your homework and pass it in on time this time!" said Ms. Fletcher giving them a strong piercing look. "Especially you, Mr. Rooks."

"Yes miss," replied a blindingly white fox, slicking back his fur and not giving her his attention as yanked his bag from the floor and placed it over his shoulders.

"Make an effort Sev," said Ms. Fletcher, as the cotton white fox stopped at the door.

"I'll try miss," said Sev in a more polite tone, as he gave her a friendly smile before leaving the classroom, making it almost empty as the two brothers made themselves busy by packing their bags as Ms. Fletcher fixed her eyes upon them.

"Dragging behind?" said the dazzling brilliant humanoid making her way towards them and helping the place their respective things into their bags. "You better hurry up, the next period is going to start soon, hurry along now."

"Thanks, Ms. Fletcher," said Gumball graciously as he stowed the last of his things in his pockets.

The humanoid returned the warm smile. "I know what it can be like be a bit rushed in all, I've only just gotten out of college a few years ago."

Their bewildered expressions apparently made her laugh, but it seemed that she quickly disguise it as a cough to avoid suspicion as she gently guided them out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight of Ms. Fletcher they returned to their hunt for their former principal. Their searches yield little success when they turned up in the library, discovering their teacher was nowhere to be seen.

Once Gumball had excitedly pointed out a large and furry head, which turned out just to be a mop head that was almost the exactly the same size and shape as Principal Brown's fur, with the exact same shade of tan. Discouraged slightly, Gumball and Darwin turned as many desperate measures at they could possible hope in order to find the stray principal.

Nigel, on the other hand, was enjoying the high school work, not finding it too difficult as he could find ways of achieving the answer. Occasionally, he'd turn to a partner to check their work and see if he was on the right track. The only annoyance that drew his attention away from the door was the faint clattering tap of something on the window that he was sitting at. He wasn't sure anyone else in the class could hear it as they weren't looking up with the same interest, their heads bowed over their work in concentrate. The furry slug glance at the window and held back his surprise upon seeing to familiar figures in the school courtyard standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Snow covered the Watterson brothers in a thick caps and blankets, while they waved through the window. The immediate question of how they got in was driven from his mind.

 _'They're the Wattersons after all, they'll find a way somehow,'_ relented the ex-principal, who pointed at the clock in order to communicate that class was not going to be out of session for a while.

Fortunately, the two brothers seemed to understand the silent communication and they retreated away from the snow-strewn courtyard back into the school. Principal Brown gave a sigh of relief if the discovered him here what would it do to his reputation? Would they realize that he was not qualified to be principal at the junior high school? And with a realization of shock, he remembered that Gumball and Darwin too knew of the fact he had never received a high school diploma. He didn't panic however as he turned back to his notes, but fear seized him and he escaped the classroom as soon as possible to find his students.

They weren't hard to spot, the Watterson brothers were dressed as ridiculously as he was, having clothes one or two sizes too large for them. The stood by the water fountain waiting for him and encroached upon him as soon as they saw him.

"Principal Brown, what are you doing here?" asked Gumball desperately, keeping his voice low but the plea in his voice was apparent. "You're supposed to be back at Elmore Junior High, the place will likely fall apart without you running it."

"My boy, I'm not your principal anymore, I don't deserve that title," said Nigel with a sad smile, before cutting across them. "Besides, someone much more qualified should take the position while I'm away."

"That's the problem, no one is more qualified for the job than you are Principal Brown," said Gumball, choosing to continue to use the word in hopes of getting him on board. Their former principal seemed to wince in discomfort at them using the word before continuing.

"Look, boys, I really appreciate your commitment, but I'd be a poor principal for the school. Isn't it saying enough considering how many things have occurred under my nose without me noticing? If someone truly qualified took over then I'm sure that they could succeed where I failed," said the furry slug, with a note of finality in his voice.

"I don't believe this," said Gumball, through gritted teeth. "Are you turning your back on your school because you too afraid of returning because your status isn't as high as a principal with a high school diploma."

Principal Brown looked as though he had just been slapped across the face with an invisible hand. The atmosphere of the hallways seemed to chill a few degrees as the former principal seem to struggle with words.

"How dare you!" he said, at last, his face pale with fury. "How dare you!"

"I don't know about you but the Principal Brown I know was perfectly happy without possessing a diploma," said Gumball annoyed as the furry slug flashed a dangerous shade of purple.

"Gumball, that's quite enough," said Darwin drawing Gumball back slightly from each other as they panted heavily.

"You were our principal no matter what Principal Brown," said Gumball his voice exasperated. "Why can't that be enough for you?"

And without another word, Gumball turned on the spot walking down the hall with a look of disappointment on his face and avoiding eye contact. Darwin seemed to hang around for a few seconds shooting a pleading, but understanding look at their ex-principal before leaving the spot as well. Their old principal was left standing at the spot, dumbstruck. They had come all they way to convince him to return to their school, but he still didn't see why he should return.

* * *

Elmore Junior High's state of chaos only increased as the day stretched on, from things as minor as rogue skateboarders all the way to all out classroom breakdown. The hallways were filled with fast spraypainted graffiti and chips in the usual pristine surfaces of the walls in rooms. The school was almost unrecognizable. The only students in the library were a certain robot, small pink rabbit, and an amber fennec fox.

"What do you think will happen?" asked Kelsey, trying to abate her fear, as she turned her head to the entrance which showed no signs of anyone approaching.

Ironically, the library had been spared from the sacking of the school, for the most part, only having the computers in the room removed while there were only a few books taken from the shelves.

"There is a 45 percent chance we will be discovered," said Bobert reassuringly in his synthesized voice.

Anais then made a small racket of falling books when attempting to look at the doors to the library. They waited for complete silence before the robot spoke again.

"53 percent," said Bobert, amending his statement as Anais gave a worried smile.

"Do you think your brothers are okay? No one has seen them since before lunch," asked Kelsey with concern as Anais shuddered slightly.

"I'm more concerned for Jake," said Anais as she peered out the window. "I heard that he was dragged away to the gymnasium."

"Dragged to gymnasium?" asked Kelsey hollowly as she sprung up to her feet. "I'm going after Jake."

The sudden determination and strength in her voice surprised Anais and Bobert's lens seem to shift backward to mimic this expression. Neither of them could stop her as Kelsey stuffed her bag quickly her things.

When she noticed their expressions she added fiercely. "What? Someone has to save his skin."

With that she was off, throwing the doors open, straightening out her hoodie and plaid shirt as she walked down the halls cautiously. The place was eerily quiet despite the fact it was in a state of anarchy. The amber fox seemed to get this advanced warning and turned down another hallway hoping see could make a safe path to where Jake was no doubt being held. She wondered if he'd be grateful for the rescue.

Often times the dusty brown coyote had been kind towards her and had a daring nerve to him that she admired. Admittedly, she couldn't deny the fact that she had developed feelings for him. The fear that Jake was still in danger seemed to spur her on forward as she reached the entrance. It was just inches from her grasp when she noticed the fact that there was a thin wire connected to the doors if she tried to open them, which would likely set off some form of trap or another.

 _'Why can't things be simple for once?'_ thought Kelsey annoyed as she doubled back searching for an entrance to the gym. _'Be strong in the meantime Jake!'_

* * *

Gumball and Darwin trudged down the hallways, in a defeated manner. Despite all their determined and collective effort they had failed to find a way to get the principal back. Neither of the two Wattersons knew what the next course of action should be. Both agreed that they should get back to Elmore Junior High before people started getting suspicious. They could help but feel a bit of regret at not convincing him. Both however resolved to remain quiet on the matter before they collided with a rather grumpy looking student who stood in front of them like a mountain. The large saltwater crocodile had pale green scales that bristled uncomfortably at the disturbance and he turned to face them.

"What?" growled the saltwater crocodile, in a low sinister voice that as rough as sandpaper.

"Sorry pal, we didn't mean to bump into you," said Gumball apologetically in a small voice as the croc slowly lumbered around to face them. He was large and muscle-bound and just as intimidating as Randal or Tina as he let out a low hiss, opening his mouth to show his pointed teeth and his long snout, which almost seemed too long for his body.

"What is it Horace, is someone looking for a fight?" wheezed a voice behind him as the saw a beaded eye humanoid approach them, tufts of green hair flattened against his pale and bony face.

"No, it doesn't quite seem like it Zeb," grunted the saltwater croc as he lifted up Gumball with one arm as if weighing him before letting him sink back to the ground.

"Well teach 'em right won't ya?" said the bony Zeb, nodding approvingly as Horace brandished his fist.

"Come on you pipsqueaks!" hissed the croc lumbering over them, his large size inhibiting his speed.

Without a moment of hesitantIon Gumball and Darwin sprung into action darting from side to side and darting around the monstrous croc. The large croc's feeble attempt to catch up to them as in this instant, speed was favored by the Wattersons as they swiftly moved from spot to spot hoping to loose their cold-blooded pursuer.

"Come back here!" demanded the large croc, before a small fox stopped in front of them.

"Whoa, big guy where do you think you're going?" said Sev, leaning up against the lumbering croc's side.

"What do you want, snooping around as usual?" said Horace, leering with a lopsided mouth, as Sev looked into his sea green eyes.

"These two are clients of mine, in case you haven't noticed," said Sev coolly, but with an air of patience.

"Alright, alright!" said Horace shortly as he backed off slowly, his scaly tail flicking back and forth as he hollered back to the snow fox. "But even your influence has its limits Sev."

"I know," said Sev, trying to keep a straight face despite his strong urge to grin. The retreating Watterson brothers looked from behind the protection from behind his arms.

"Thanks," said Darwin, with an appreciative smile.

"It was nothing, in fact, it was easy, Horace is pretty dim-witted," said Sev with a grin that told he was pleased with himself. "I overheard your conversation with your old principal. Rough day huh?"

"Yeah, it's been a bit of hassle, to be honest," said Gumball with a half-hearted sigh.

"Well, you seem awfully determined to get him back to your school," replied Sev, with a sympathetic look towards them.

"Have you ever doubted yourself? Because that's what he's become obsessed with, it's not him, it's a stranger who looks back at us from that familiar face. He just so hung up on getting a diploma he's forgotten the students and other teachers that need him. What are we going to do without him?"

"Well, if you ask me, he needs to be reminded why he decided to be your principal in the first place," said Sev, a plan already formulating in his head. "Leave it to me."

"Alright dude, and we didn't catch your name," cried Darwin as the snow fox set off down the hallway.

"You can call me Sev, and don't worry I've got things under control."

* * *

Jake hung like a spider from a thin strand of web, suspended in midair. It was becoming hard and harder to remain conscious and his head had begun to throb and ache with pain. The knots on his hands were undone. However, it was an entirely different thing to dislodge himself from the tightly wound rope around his feet. The coyote had a strong feeling he could get free if he managed to slowly lower himself. This was easier said than done since Jake was in a state of semi-consciousness and there were gaps where he transitioned from being aware to oblivious of his surroundings. His paws which were still numb from the ropes that had bound him fumbled around hoping for a place he could grab ahold of. Maybe it was the blood flow to his head, but the coyote could swear he was hearing a low voice below him.

"Psst!" said a hushed, familiar and sweet voice. This made Jake instantly think of a small fox cuddling up against him as he looked down to see the outline of none other than Kelsey Springer below him. "Hey, Jake!"

The coyote let out a muffled yell from behind his muzzle. It was clear that he was overjoyed by the sudden appearance of his good friend. Kelsey had not anticipated to see the coyote in such a pitiful state.

"I need to get you down from there, have you got any ideas?" asked Kelsey promptly as Jake yelled with frantic gibberish, pointing at something Kelsey could not see.

"Uh, what?" asked Kelsey, without the slightest idea what Jake was saying. The coyote gave an exasperated look, rolling his eyes, he then calmed himself clearly pointing to a point where the rope had been tied off behind the amber fox.

Kelsey looked behind her and she hastened to it and untied it with ease. In her haste she let the rope slip from her hands and Jake descend at a sickening speed. It took Kelsey a few seconds to register this fact. She tightened her grip on the rope and dug her feet into the waxed floor, slipping and skating across it in an effort to get both of them to stop.

With a last heave, she stopped Jake with a sudden lurch leaving his face inches above the ground, so close, that his ruffled fur seemed to touch the smooth surface as she lowered Jake to the ground. The coyote gave an inaudible thanks behind the muzzle wrenched tight around his jaw as he untied his and Kelsey came to his aid.

"I'll get that muzzle off your face," said Kelsey as she made to unfasten the strap around his head. Jake stopped her through the process and shook his head vehemently, standing up. It took both of them a second to realize that they were both still holding hands. Both made and effort to hide this as they pulled paws back and Jake make to ruffle his fur with an embarrassed expression on his face while Kelsey busied herself with fixing her collar.

"Right we should get a move on," said Kelsey in a calm manner as they both went towards the door.

As the seized the bar for the door and pushed on it. It seemed to yield to the touch, but only after had they pushed it did they realize something was wrong. A large array of objects plummeted to the floor causing a horrible racket and with that numerous students emerged from hiding spots, no doubt anticipating this and at their head stood Tina Rex, a ferocious smile on her face.

The dusty coyote and amber fox didn't bother sticking around. The coyote instinctively leaped forward grabbing the strap of his backpack that was draped over Tobias' shoulder and proceeded to drag him along at a furious rate as Kelsey dodged the dogpile of students that tried to tackle her and they landed on top of each other with a painful crunch. The rainbow lad who was being dragged in Jake's wake unclipped the backpack from himself releasing it and the bandana attached to it, back into Jake's ownership. The coyote kicked the whimpering rainbow lad to the feet of Tina forcing her to stop Tobias as Jake grabbed Kelsey and helped the amber fox avoid a swing from the t-rex's tail. With a swish, it cleared their heads and the two sprinted down the hallway Jake holding closely to Kelsey as they made it to the library.

* * *

"You certain this will work?" asked Gumball skeptically, as Sev gave an affronted look.

"I said it'll work, and it will. You just have to have a little faith in me," said Sev.

"Faith is one thing, this is totally another. Isn't there some other way?" said Gumball as he sorted through his stuff.

"It'll work," repeated Sev as the trio approached the class where the former principal was.

"If you insist," sighed the blue cat.

"Now, from what I know Principal Brown has got to value his students' education more than his own, let's get started."

Gumball put a dimwitted expression on his face, ready to shimmy up the flagpole.

* * *

 **Whew, another chapter done. Just to let you know this is a three-part 'episode' per say. Therefore you'll be seeing the conclusion to Principal Brown's and Elmore Junior High's predicament next chapter. So once again leave your thoughts in the comments, or in the form of a question. I will give you an answer if there is anything you want to know. Also, I have found a new beta and we are working out the details of the new arrangement. Feel free to fav and follow this story and if you want to share it with friends who you'd think would enjoy it. Anyways I will see you in the next chapter, but in the meantime, hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Diploma- Part Three**

 _ **Will the former principal of Elmore Junior High reclaim his title? In the meantime, Jake, Kelsey, Bobert, and Anais must find a way to keep some form of order while Gumball, Darwin, and Sev set their plans into motion.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I decide to add several new minor characters into the fray to show the different environment to Elmore Junior High and it felt go to move from that setting to a new one.**

 **-I wanted to show Kelsey and Jake having compassion towards each other without it being the main focus of the chapter so I decided to split it with Principal Brown's arc.**

 **-My new beta will most likely start his work on the new chapters in mid-October. In the meantime, look out for new chapters and potential Outsider spinoffs. ;)**


	19. Chapter 19: The Diploma- Part Three

**Hey everyone, hope you're enjoying the recent chapters of The Outsider. Anyways I want to give a shout out to Elder-Rannells. Check out her stories The Henchmen and The Lost. Both stories are great stories about Rob, their OC, and the Wattersons. Check it out when you've got the time as it's quite well written and it deserves some recognition.**

* * *

 **The Outsider:**

Chapter 19: The Diploma- Part Three

The cramped conditions of the library seemed to intensify as the room's four occupants deposited a large mound of books and other junk in an effort to barricade the door. The constant and persistent pounds on it served as a reminder that their enemies were not giving up anytime soon. The small pink rabbit stopped for a second, sweating and a bit ashen-faced, but otherwise alright. Her legs weren't quite as long as the amber fox, or the dusty brown coyote who was listening intently. This was due to his incapability to speak thanks to the muzzle still secured tightly to his mouth. Bobert, on the other hand, was doing more work than all three of them combined, his rocket booster feet giving him the advantage of hovering over the ground and shifting heavy objects to the door with his metal clamps.

"That should hold them for now," panted Anais, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Have you tried taking that thing off Jake?"

The coyote nodded slowly annoyed that he couldn't pull the muzzle off. The fact it was still cutting into the bottom of his jaw was painful enough without the constant nods and questions about the infernal contraption over his mouth. The fact it was still stubbornly attached was starting to get under his skin as he helped brace the door.

"He doesn't like being badgered about it," whispered Kelsey as she helped hold the door in place from the constant battering, and the belligerent force behind it.

"Right, sorry about that Jake," said Anais apologetically as Jake busied himself with holding the door, nodding softly at this.

"Bobert, how much longer can we hold out here?" inquired Kelsey, trying to her best to keep the door from budging.

"Most likely from the span from half an hour to a full hour," said the robot, analyzing his data on screen before looking at all three of them with a sincere expression. "Would you like my assistance in your plight?"

"No, Bobert, just power down and recharge if necessary. We need you at your very best just in case," said Kelsey clearly, and Bobert's domed head gave a respectful nod before he powered off leaving a blank expression on his display.

"In the meantime, we've got to buy ourselves some time," said Anais, as the students continued to batter away on the door with continued vigor.

"We've just got to hold out for a bit longer, Jake, do you mind giving me a hand with this?" said the amber fox, as she leaned her back against the large shelves that blocked the doors as the dusty brown coyote hurried to help her.

* * *

Sev stood in the crowd of onlookers as they stared up at the terrified form of Gumball Watterson run aloft on the flagpole, not able to get down.

"What are you doing all the way up there?" asked the cotton white fox dryly, as the blue cat clung terrified to the flagpole for dear life.

"What has gotten into you Watterson?" said a familiar voice, and tearing through the crowd that had congregated was their former principal. Gumball was surprised to hear his former teacher address him by his surname once again.

"Mr. Brown, I took a bet that I could reach the top of the flagpole in under a minute flat, and I was sorely mistaken," stated Gumball with a hopeless grimace.

"Why must something involving the Wattersons always go wrong?" groaned the furry slug as he looked around at his surroundings. "I'm going to climb up there, just hang on."

"This should be good," said Sev, with a bemused smile as fiddled with his leather vest.

With a heaving yell, the furry brown slug jumped onto the flagpole intending to cling to it with his feeble arms and ascend it. After several seconds of scrambling up the metal, Brown panted, slipping down the minimal distance that he had covered. Some members of the crowd sniggered in amusement others held their tongues waiting patiently.

"I can do this," said Nigel, wiping the sweat now drenching his fur and his face. With another heave, he jumped back onto the pole ascending it about a foot. His face was reddening rapidly as he ascended before slipping off the pole and landing face first on the tarry pavement making a loud splatting noise as his face hit the ground. This caused some of the onlookers to grimace slightly.

"Well, that was climatic," said Sev, sarcastically, looking at the spot where the principal had landed. "This may take awhile."

Principal Brown got back to his feet pushing his askew glasses back on and frowning in concentration. With that, he jumped back onto the flagpole for another attempt.

"Are you sure you don't need a little help," said a beaver walking up to them a look of concern on her face.

"I've got this, I've been through physical challenges that are tougher than this," said the furry slug flexing the little muscle that he had. "It just takes some finesse to climb this properly."

The beaver sighed and pointed at the base of the flagpole. "Why don't you just take the pin out from the pole so it falls down?"

"Oh, excellent point, that was my backup plan of course," said Principal Brown feigning knowing about the metal pin. "Gumball I want you to get ready to let go."

"But-" protested Gumball, his arms wavering due to fatigue.

"Don't worry, I've got you," said Sev standing several feet from the flagpole. "Ready Brown?"

"Ready," said Principal Brown and with a simple tug, the pin dislodged causing the tower-like pole to topple over flinging the blue feline through the air to where the open-armed Arctic fox caught him with a straining effort before lowering back to the black and sticky pavement.

"I'm good," said Gumball reassuringly as Darwin offered him a fin to grab onto. "I wanted to thank you, Principal Brown."

"I should have been looking out for you from the start, but we must hasten. Get your things Wattersons," said Principal Brown, swapping his sunglasses out for his usual spectacles.

"Does that mean you're coming back with us?" asked Darwin, ecstatic at the sudden change of heart.

"I'm your principal after all, aren't I!" said Principal Brown with a smile.

Both the Watterson brothers exchanged whoops of joy and celebrated in their own little ways. The principal calmed their jubilee down with a small wave of his hands. Sev just stood there a quizzical expression etched on his face.

"So this is what it'll be like if I ever become a dad? Count me out," muttered Sev, shaking his head as he walked down the sidewalk with a small backward glance.

"Well, we can get back to Elmore Junior High in no time," Principal Brown patting himself down for any sign of his keys. Both Gumball and Darwin grimaced at this.

"Well about that..." said Gumball with hesitation.

* * *

 **About an hour earlier...**

Gumball and Darwin scanned the icy surface of the driveway for any sign of Principal Brown.

"Where could he have gone?" said Gumball almost slipping and falling to the ground as he steadied himself on the black car in the driveway.

"From what I've seen, there are several tracks through the snow heading to the Elmore High bus stops," interjected Darwin as Gumball ran his fingers through the layer of snow on it.

"Elmore High, that's on the other side of town," sighed Gumball, though he was not bothered by the news.

"Well, I think we could find a way," said Darwin encouragingly as he patted his brother on the back.

Something must have caught Gumball's eye at this moment as he gave a small gasp, bending down to pick up a flash of silver off the ground that was still protruding slightly from the snow.

"Darwin, do you know what these are?" asked Gumball, floundering the shiny metallic objects in front of the goldfish's face.

"Principal Brown's keys? He must have dropped them somehow," said Darwin, inspecting the object that Gumball was now running through his fingers in an effort to clean the clumps of snow off of them.

"Well, we can use this to our advantage that's for sure," said Gumball, pressing a button on the small remote and the locks on Principal Brown's car popped upwards as Gumball pulled the door open sitting down in the driver's seat. "Do you think you can handle the pedals, Darwin?"

"This is reckless even by your standards Gumball," said Darwin, apprehensively as he got into the car as well.

"I've played enough arcade racing games that I know what I'm doing," said Gumball, with an air of confidence as he put the keys into the ignition and the car sprung to life.

* * *

"What happened?" asked Principal Brown frowning as Gumball pausing in their story. The blue feline sighed a led his principal over to the spot where a tan and patchy canvas covered something until Gumball pulled it off revealing the results of the car.

The paint was peeled and scratched in several places over the usual black coat. Two of the tires had been punctured, leaving them deflated and useless. There were drips of black oil on the ground. The once flat and pristine surfaces were now littered with dents and dings leaving it with the impression that whoever owned this car did not hold it in high regard. To make matters worse, there was smoke billowing and curling into the are in gray clouds.

"Well, you certainly take after your father in terms of driving abilities," said Principal Brown, dryly in anger, his brow furrowed. "Let's not worry about that now, let's focus on getting back to our school, but I'm footing you with the bill."

* * *

Jake sat patiently in a chair, the muzzle pulled back tight against his jaw, causing his mouth to become sore. Kelsey was trying to file through the metal fastenings that were holding the muzzle on his face. The coyote trusted the amber fox implicitly, as she wore down at the metal holding it together.

"It shouldn't be much longer, soon I'll have it off your face and you'll be able to talk again normally," said Kelsey, soothingly running her paws through his fur.

The assaults on the door hadn't given up but had been drastically reduced. This had given the occupants of the room the opportunity to sit around at their leisure and do what they would like. Anais had taken to reading through the large collection of books in the library and was hidden by the many books piled in front of her. Bobert was still in the same spot, powered off his screen blank which still creeped Jake out. He still hadn't gotten over the fact the robot had attempted to mimic his personality, though he had been a bit more friendly to him to make up for this as a result.

The interests of the other kids for breaking into the library seemed to subside, but with a resounding crash, something emerged from one of the vents on the wall. The small form of Tobias staggered out wearily, but still happy.

"Ahah!" shrieked the rainbow lad in joy. "Not so secret and hidden now!"

"I'll handle this," said Kelsey, forcing Jake to sit as the coyote made an effort to get up. With that, she waltzed over to the spot where Bobert was still hunched over at and daintily tapped the robot head with her paw. "Bobert can you do us a favorite, activate protocol for trespassers."

The robot woke up his head snapping up attentively, whatever Kelsey had said Bobert had clearly understood as his usual pupil contracted into a targeting screen.

"Hostile detected!" said Bobert's synthetic voice as his body transformed. Jake was startled as Bobert's form shifted. His claws were retracting in place of circular canons, his chest became larger and more boxish, his whole body with the exception of his head was becoming gargantuan. The towering figure seemed to intimidate Tobias quickly as he let out a feeble squeak as he tried to back away. Jake remained speechless at Bobert's combat mode.

"Targeting parameters: ACQUIRED," said Bobert his voice magnified to a booming level as his canons began to spin threateningly. The robot looked like a walking arsenal that should not be trifled with. The coyote didn't blame Tobias as he ran away in desperation. The firepower that Bobert summoned almost blinded Jake as white and red light poured into his eyes and caused them to sear with pain. The force of the explosion tore their barrier apart and knocked Jake, Kelsey, and Anais back. The blast that hit Tobias shot him backward like a cannonball and he hit the wall face first sliding down it, unconscious. The gap where the door once stood let the other numerous students poured in through the derelict and smithereens of their barricade.

"Riot suppressors online," said Bobert as his canons rearranged themselves. Then a blurry stream of rubber pellets at them knocking the invaders to the ground with ease as they let out groans and yelps of pain. Kelsey strode over to Jake, who was hiding behind the remains of the librarian's desk.

"Good thing we're on Bobert's good side, right?" as Kelsey grimacing as a rubber pellet hit one kid square in the jaw sending him off his feet, and rebounded in their direction. Jake gave an unintelligible response at this that sounded as if he was in agreement.

Anais rushed over to the desk they were at, sliding over to it and panting. "Could you have given me a little warning next time?"

"Sorry about that Anais, I just thought Bobert could help put an end to these bullies' rampage," admitted Kelsey, brushing her now messy hair out of her eyes.

"Well, he sure does seem quite capable of doing that," commented Anais, as the robot shrunk back down to normal size, his screen in a pleased expression at his handwork. On the floor had to be at least a dozen or so of the usual school bullies, groaning in pain. Some of them had large purple bruises forming where the pellets had made contact with, others had been knocked into shelves or bookcases. After a long silence, Kelsey cleared her throat and decided to speak up.

"Thanks, Bobert," she said quite plainly, giving the robot a smile.

"It was my pleasure to assist you," said Bobert, pleasantly, inclining his head in politeness, a happy expression on his face.

"Well, I guess we should clean all this mess up," said Anais, observing how ruined the usually neat and orderly library looked.

* * *

Gumball, Darwin, and Principal Brown made their way back to Elmore Junior High on foot. Their principal was telling them about his own middle school and high school experiences, which the two brothers found somewhat interesting. Other parts of the story could have bored them to sleep if they weren't fixated on returning to their school.

"And that's what it was like to be a member of student council," said Principal Brown chuckling at the end of his short anecdote. "Still, I keep close bonds with my classmates, after all, we all went through a lot together."

Principal Brown's chuckles died as they continued to traverse through the snow, towards Elmore Junior High, an unforgiving wind nipping at their exposed appendages and faces. Out of the gloom, Elmore Junior High was almost unrecognizable. The Principal quickly shuffled back into the school pushing past the goldfish and the blue cat as he went through the door. He couldn't have believed the school had ended up like this without his supervision. He found the words that Gumball had said about the school needing him, and they resonated within himself like a warm and comforting flame as he moved through the halls. He had never expected this. He turned around facing the two boys.

"Did you know about this?" asked Principal Brown, appalled at what happen.

"Believe us, we had no idea things would go downhill this fast," stammered Gumball in fright.

"Neither did I," said Principal Brown, too shocked to really listen. "I neglected my duties, who cares about a stupid diploma? I should have been here, where I was needed."

"But Principal Brown, how will you get the school back in order while it's like this?" replied the goldfish, as the furry slug started to pace the length of the hallway.

"If I get to the intercom I should be able to maybe persuade some of them to calm down, in the meantime, we should get moving and be cautious."

Then a streak of dust color brown sped toward them. It was Jake, but something was different about him. A thick strap of metal attached around the back of his head were a little keyhole was placed. The rest of his face was obscured with a dark material and metal bars that restricted him further. It took them several seconds for them to recognize that it was a muzzle that had been clamped on his face. The coyote wasn't the only one to arrive, Bobert, Anais, and Kelsey had all shown up as well. The moment Anais caught sight of her brothers she rushed over to them, hugging every inch of them she could reach. The bamboozled brothers returned the hug awkwardly before turning to Jake.

"So what happened here?" asked Darwin. Jake's jaw seemed to want to work furiously, but the dusty brown coyote pointed at the muzzle to show signs that he couldn't talk. "Right, sorry I forgot."

"Kelsey, what exactly happened here?" asked Gumball looking at the fennec fox who seemed to close her eyes in thought.

"Well, the situation went downhill fast as soon as Principal Brown left. Mr. Small wasn't really capable of managing his position plus the fact that many of the students thought that he didn't have any backbone, so they saw how far the could push him. Well, Mr. Small didn't really know how to respond to this, so he didn't really stand his ground. Next thing you know the whole school is running rampant."

"What about all the bullies and miscreants?" asked the principal, scanning the hallway for any sign of the misbehaving kids.

"Bobert already sort of straightened them out," replied Kelsey looking at the robot, who nodded.

"It was the least I could do," Bobert stated.

"Maybe I should consider giving you a special award for services to the school," said Principal Brown, tapping his chin with his fingers. "Still I think it's best if we get this school back in ship shape."

"Is it alright if I stay with Jake to help him get that thing off his face?" asked the amber fox, not waiting for an answer as she went to work detaching the muzzle with a file.

"Go ahead," said Gumball with a sly grin as the occupants of the corridor departed towards the office.

With a soft snap, the metal strap around the back of Jake's head split into two smooth pieces. The amber fox took great care removing the mask that covered his face and pulling it off to dropping to the ground and letting to clatter.

"Thanks," said the dusty brown coyote massaging his jaw tenderly, and looking down at the muzzle in disdain.

"Don't mention it, that thing was awful anyways," said Kelsey, her voice affectionate.

"You think so too?" said Jake with a yawn to stretch out his compressed jaw muscles.

"Of course, after all, it covered too much of your handsome face," replied Kelsey, with a flirtatious grin. These words hit Jake like a brick wall, the coyote froze completely. His ears perked up to see if he was hearing things.

"Uh, wow, thanks, Kelsey," said Jake, blushing deeply as she grinned.

"Well, I'll see you around Jake," said Kelsey brushing her smooth and sleek hair out of her eyes before walking off.

Jake couldn't be happier as a sheepish grin spread across his face. He was both startled and impressed by the amber fox's flirt towards him. The coyote shook his head fervently clearing his mind as he pursued her.

"Hey, Kelsey!"

* * *

Principal Brown entered his office as having to force the very damaged door open to find Mr. Small huddled on the floor curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth.

"Steve?" asked the furry brown slug, getting on eye level with him.

"I couldn't do it," said Mr. Small, quaking slightly.

"It's fine now old friend, get up," insisted the Principal Brown but the hippie human remained secured on the spot. "Gumball, Darwin, would you like to escort Mr. Small back to his classroom. Don't accept any of his herbal tea, though."

Gumball stuck out his tongue and gave a distasteful look at this warning. "I know sir, fortunately, I haven't ever ingested any of it."

The two brothers then proceed to shepherd and forcibly tug Mr. Small out of the office who still had his mouth gaping wide open. The principal swept back behind his desk fixing papers, pens, and other files. In comparison to other days, this one was no different from any other. He picked up the microphone that was knocked over on its side and brushed it off.

"Hello, students of Elmore Junior High. I know things have gotten crazy in my brief absence, but I am back however and I'm still here, so I hope you've got your things back in order because I'll be checking the halls to see if you are in your respective classes, so do not dawdle on your way to class. Enjoy the rest of your day."

With that, he hung up the intercom and brushed back his fur. It was just another regular day at Elmore Junior High, but it was the place he belonged and it was the job he had always wanted, to shape the future of young kids, to make sure they had more opportunities than he had. He wanted them to explore the possible futures they wanted to do and dream and hope for their future. Also, it gave him a chance to reflect on where he went wrong and what have could have gone better.

* * *

It was another cold day in Elmore as Principal Brown made his way over to his car. Fumbling with his frigid fingers to unlock his car. The most peculiar sight stuck out to him, a rather elderly tortoise was lumbering over to him. He recognized the creased and age face of the mayor at once.

"Hello m'boy!" yelled Mayor Tortison, in a bounding jovial voice, his heavy shell rocking as he approached him.

"Mr. Tortison, what a surprise, what are you doing out at this time? Should you be in city hall after all?" asked Principal Brown, the questions bursting out.

"Huh? Oh, of course, I was just making a small delivery is all," said the mayor, in merriment as he fiddled with his red bow tie importantly. "City business of course."

Principal Brown raised his eyebrow skeptically. The news must have leaked out that he wasn't technically qualified to be principal anymore. If it had he was willing to fight to the end to keep that position.

"What kind of business?" said Principal Brown hostilely as the elderly tortoise paused.

"I didn't mean to offend you Nigel, but of course! You probably didn't receive the letter from city hall with the details of the event."

"What event?" replied the principal with an edge in his voice as the elderly tortoise stopped.

"For the formal receiving of your diploma of course," said the mayor laughing lightly. "It took a lot of a work and I needed some old contacts of mine and to pull a few strings before it worked out. Though I believe your years of service more than make up for that."

The elderly tortoise handed a fine looking plaque to him, giving him a hardy handshake. The plaque was fully complete with the proper seal of authenticity. No words could express the principal's gratitude as Tortison gave him a pat on the shoulder before waddling off.

* * *

 **Well, that's a wrap on part three of The Diploma. Principal Brown is finally qualified to be principal of Elmore Junior High, and Kelsey is starting to flirt with Jake. How will their relationship start panning out, will they actually start dating? These questions will be answered in due time. Once again if you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to comment, fave, follow or PM any questions you have and I'll answer them. See you in the next chapter, stay cool and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Retribution**

 _ **Rob swears vengeance on the Watterson brothers and then Jake finds himself caught in the crossfire of the cyclops' schemes as a result.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Once again I put references to episodes in the show and other sources, see how many you can find and leave a comment if you think you've found one.**

 **-I wanted to show off Bobert's combat mode in this chapter, and I thought it would be a good thing to showcase to show that characters like Kelsey still have a better idea of what's going on in Elmore than Jake.**

 **-I'm trying to update my story every week now, so keep an eye out for new chapters. Also, what characters from the show would you like to see, let me know. I chose Rob for the next chapter because of the recent episodes revolving around him.**

 **-Keep on the lookout for Jake and other Outsider characters outside of my stories as they might show up in other places. ;)**


	20. Chapter 20: The Retribution

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 20: The Retribution

Icicles cracked and were smashed as a certain dusty brown coyote forced the front door of the Wiley residence open. The bittersweet Sunday was all Jake could think of, his weekend was almost over and that meant a return to Miss Simian's classroom which was something he didn't enjoy at all. His mountain of homework had never been higher at this time of year and wasn't as manageable as before. Still, Jake took some comfort in the fact that he had Kelsey to talk to. The fennec fox had been very kind and sweet towards him each time they saw each other, and each time they part Jake couldn't help but look back towards her. She seemed to notice this detail each time as she walked off. This mutual attraction between the coyote and the fox had still lead to some awkward situations, but in a place like Elmore, that kind of crazy stuff was to be expected.

Brooke stopped Jake at the threshold gripping the coyote's forearm with a mother's care and pulling him back inside. Obviously, the older gray wolf fussed over his outfit, zipping up his jacket and pulling a winter hat over his head. His mother looked different, a bit paler than usual, probably due to the fact that she was several months pregnant at his point. Still, despite this, she was still cheery as she whistled rearranging her son's outfit.

"C'mon mom, stop it," Jake insisted, but not trying to pull away from her.

"I just want to make sure you're nice and warm, and if I recall you've always disliked the cold," said Brooke as she tightened her hold on him. "Where are you going Snuffles? Planning on going on a date with Kelsey?"

"Mom..." said Jake, blushing slightly as he looked at his feet. "She was just flirting with me."

"Well, your father used to do that all the time, right honey?" called Brooke into the living room where Glenn was typing on his laptop.

"Oh yeah, big time," said Glenn matter of factly, giving a slight grin as he pounded away at the keys.

"See? She certainly likes you," said Brooke with a warm smile. "Don't sell yourself short."

"Alright," said Jake smoothing back his untidy fur as he put his black and gray winter hat on. "I get your point."

"She's very sweet, you should bring her over some time," said the older gray wolf, making last minute adjustments to Jake's appearance.

"Mom!" said Jake, embarrassed hoping the conversation would end there and he wouldn't end up turning a deeper shade of red.

"Alright," said Brooke giving him one last finally hug before letting go of him. "Be safe this time, I don't want to find out you fell in the lake again and then have to hear about it from the Springers again."

Jake nodded, spinning on his heel and waving goodbye as he set off through the towering snow banks and disappeared from his parents' sight. The coyote was expecting to meet the Watterson brothers somewhere in downtown, which was still quite a ways away from his house. The cold unwelcoming chill seemed to still stiffen Jake's body. The ice air stung his nostrils and froze the inside of his mouth whenever he opened it. The very air seemed to hang heavy like an ice sheet over the coyote.

The unsuspecting coyote had someone tailing him as he proceeded across the heavily salted and sanded road. From the underbrush, he heard a noise but saw no sign of the person or animal that had caused it. A certain cyclops was keeping a close eye on him.

"Revenge is mine, Gumball Watterson!" said Rob, his fists tightening not bothering to note the sight of the coyote's brown tail as opposed to his nemesis' blue tail.

The distressed cyclops charged at the coyote, tackling him from behind and both of them plummeted into a nearby snow bank. The aggressor quickly realized by the different texture of fur and the blur of brown he had grabbed someone else. The cyclops quickly let go of his and straightened himself up, offering his good hand out towards the coyote.

"Sorry about that, I thought you were someone else, someone I particularly dislike, anyways, the name is Rob."

"No harm done," said the coyote simply dusting off the cold layer of snow off his clothes and fur. "That did catch me by surprise. What are you doing around these parts in weather like this?"

"I'm looking for someone, who are you by the way?" asked the cyclops as the coyote got a good look at him. Some of his limbs and body has an incomplete look to him.

His left foot was made of what looked like green wire-frame. His features looked like they were almost covered in static and they shifted slightly and appeared somewhat blurry. His awkward appearance was different from even the likes Jake had seen in his long time in Elmore. The cyclops ran his hands through his brown symmetric hair.

"I'm Jake Wiley, I'm new here, maybe you heard of me?" said the coyote, as the cyclops pondered on the name.

"I don't think I have, you might have arrived during the time I was trapped in the Void," replied Rob after giving up after less than a minute.

"The Void?" asked Jake, confused by what he meant.

"It's the place where all forgotten and useless objects and people end up at," said Rob, his eye shifting away from looking at Jake to his feet. Jake sensed he was ashamed of the Void and didn't take long for it to click that Rob had probably ended up in the void at one point.

Whatever happened to Rob seemed to have altered his design in such a manner and Jake looked as his static appearance before drawing his backpack from the snow bank.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Rob, I've got to go meet Gumball and Darwin, so I'll catch you later-"

The moment the coyote had mentioned the two Watterson brothers Rob's expression changed to one of anger.

"Of course, run along with the most well know and like people of Elmore, just forget about me of course," said Rob behind gritted teeth.

"What do you mean?" asked Jake turning around to see the cyclops' expression, it was of the utmost loathing.

"Gumball and Darwin did this to me," said Rob holding out his hands and staring down at them as if imagining them as if there were still whole. "They're horrible people, why don't you realize that?!"

"They'd never do something like that," said Jake, but there was a twinge of doubt in his stomach as Rob sounded quite certain.

"That's what you'd think, but you don't know them like I do. Always off on their adventures looking out for themselves and not bothering to help those around them, no matter how great their need. From this day forward you're my enemy as well, all who side with the Wattersons will feel my retribution and it will be swift. The Wattersons are my nemeses. You will all pay!" yelled Rob, filled with rage.

Jake backed away, he was surprised by the cyclops almost volatile nature. One moment he had been perfectly calm and now his eye was glowing with hatred.

"What happened? Let me help," said Jake summoning his courage and stepping forward towards the cyclops. He was reminded of Randal, though Jake felt Randal's rage had turned him cold and callous, whatever caused that. The opposite had happened to Rob, it seemed he had trouble restraining his anger.

The cyclops just glared at Jake aiming a punch at the dusty brown coyote's head which he dodged.

"Really?!" said Jake affronted looking back at the spot where the cyclops had thrown his punch. "We can-"

The coyote turned around to see that they cyclops had disappeared. "What it the wide world just happened?"

The coyote scanned the area, catching sight of Rob's shoes hanging down from the tree that was standing over the coyote. Apparently, the shifty cyclops wasn't aware that his shoes were still exposed to Jake's vision.

"I can still see you Rob!" said Jake, chuckling slightly as the would-be villain panicked before falling out of the tree.

"I need to work on my exits," said Rob to no one in particular as he kicked the side of the tree causing a heap of white heavy snow to cover them both, as Jake tore his way out of the snow pile he noticed that Rob was gone again.

'He certainly is a bit of an oddball, he could certainly use a friend or two,' though Jake as he walked away, as the cyclops retreated from his hiding spot.

"Note to self, t-shirts and shorts are not a good option in winter," said Rob as his teeth chattered in response to his freezing body.

* * *

Jake proceed towards downtown, the frozen ground wasn't welcoming as the coyote rubbed the thin layer of ice that had accumulated on his feet.

"Winter boots wouldn't be a bad investment," said Jake dryly as he spotted the Watterson's standing outside their house and Jake hastened over to them, eager to discuss what he had heard from Rob.

"Jake, it's good to see you buddy, what's with the long face though?" asked Gumball while the coyote took a deep breath.

"It's just something I heard from Rob if you're familiar with him," said Jake, anticipating an explanation.

"Oh, you mean Dr. Wrecker, yeah isn't he a cool villain?" said Darwin, a bit excited as Jake gave a perplexed look.

"What about his whole thing about destroying everything you hold dear and making you suffer for what you've done?" said Jake, concerned that they weren't taking the threats of their nemesis seriously.

"Well, no one is perfect. I bet he could use some friends or minions in his case deep down," said Gumball. "It all started awhile ago, I'll fill you in on the details on the way to the mall."

"Alright, it must be quite the tale," said Jake, following Gumball and Darwin as they began talking about their trip into the Void to save Molly.

"That's how it went down," said Gumball finishing up his climatic tale.

"Wow, that was quite a story," said Jake as several large construction workers stepped in front of the small coyote blocking his path from ascending the escalator as Gumball and Darwin looked back at him. "Don't worry, I'll catch up."

The cyclops tampered with the escalators controls as he reversed the direction the moving staircase was going. Jake noticed the abrupt change as his feet started slipping backward.

"Um, not good," said Jake, as he sprinted forward. The staircase started to become a blur of color as it sped up in a whirl of madness.

The coyote was able to keep pace with the escalator as it felt like he was trend water, which wasn't one of the coyote's strong points. He could feel his feet slipping as he tried to dash upwards, and with a slip, he was launched off the escalator hitting the back of his head into a nearby both feeling a lump on the back of it.

"Ugh," said Jake getting up unsteadily. "I'll think I'll take the stairs this time around."

Jake monitored the store for any cause for why the escalator had malfunctioned. Whatever the quirk must have been minor as the escalator was running again with no trouble. 'Strange, what could have caused that.'

Jake eventually found both Gumball and Darwin hanging out at Laser Video looking through the bargain bin of games.

"Don't you have better ways to spend your time?" asked Jake from behind the two who were still picking through the numerous discount games.

"Not really, there isn't much to do this Sunday, besides we were hoping to get something good from out of this thing."

"Most of those games are just cheap knockoffs anyways, I wouldn't spend your time looking through it," said Jake shaking his head as they rifled through the bin a second time.

"Nothing," said Gumball, in defeat. "Slim pickings today."

"Well, I say we head out," said Jake brushing the snow off the shoulders of his coat.

"Gotcha, what do you think about going to the arcade?" asked Darwin, as he looked at the pile of cheap video games.

"I'm down for that," said Jake leading the way out of the store, without a backward glance.

They left the premise, each discussing their favorite arcade games. The trio headed toward the map of the mall getting their barring before returning to their search. In the front of the arcade, Jake thought he saw a flash of static and the next step he took he felt his foot trod on top of a pile of jacks. Gumball and Jake yelped in pain hopping and dancing on the spot as they each took a moment to pull the jacks from their feet with grimaces.

"Ouch, that kills," said Jake yanking a particular painful jack out from between his toes.

"I bet it most certainly does, who was careless enough to drop these here?" asked Darwin, whose feet were safeguarded by his basketball shoes as the dusty brown coyote and blue cat brushed the last of the jacks off their feet.

"That's assuming they were dropped there by accident," said Jake thinking about the image he had caught if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

"Who would want to do something this petty to us?" asked Gumball meeting Darwin's eyes.

"Hmm, let's see here," said the coyote putting a look of false concentration on his face. "What person? How about the one who swore to be your nemesis and destroy everything you hold dear seems to spring to mind."

"Oh, Roger?" said Gumball once again forgetting the cyclops' name.

This seemed to cause the cyclops a great deal of annoyance as he revealed himself to the trio.

"It's Rob! How can it be so hard to remember it's only three letters!" said the reformatted cyclops in a frustrated tone as he kicked the jacks in front of the arcade in his fury.

"Yeah, but it's really six letters since Rob is short for Robert," said Gumball snidely as Rob let out an annoyed yell.

"Why don't you take the day off from being the Wattersons' nemesis? It seems like it's quite a frustrating job," said Jake hoping to console the cyclops.

"You have no idea," said Rob heavily as he facepalmed. "Every day my schemes miss them ever so slightly or I they don't even recognize it was me who cause it."

"Well, Dr. Wrecker, it seems like your plans always get destroyed or blow up in your face," said Gumball who received a glare from the cyclops before adding. "No pun intended!"

"Argh, you're such a nuisance, Gumball Watterson," said the cyclops looking away and turning his back on them.

"If you're not going to get your revenge on us, then is it alright if we go to into the arcade?" asked Gumball pointing backward with his thumb as he slowly shifted away.

"You know it might be a little easier if you don't try to humiliate them every second of your life, besides I'm sure there are a few arcade games that you'd enjoy," said Jake walking up to the lone cyclops and standing at his side.

"There were a few games I was good at," replied the cyclops as he stared down at the lower floors of the mall leaning against the railing as the coyote tried to find other words of encouragement.

"You know this would be the perfect opportunity to lower Gumball in particular into a false sense of security," said Jake creatively as the cyclops turned to face him.

"Do you really think that will work?" asked the cyclops. "And hang on, how do I know that you won't blab?"

"You have my word that I won't try to tip of the Wattersons in any way," said Jake as Rob's demeanor improved.

"Finally a chance to even the score!" said the reformatted cyclops, rubbing his hands together as he plotted how to create a way to get his revenge on the two brothers.

"All you have to do is follow me into the arcade," said Jake preparing to head out.

"Wait, let's shake on it first," said Rob, causing the dusty brown coyote to stop dead in his tracks and turn around to see Rob's good hand outstretched towards him. Jake took it and gave it a firm shake to show that he had agreed to the cyclops' terms. The cyclops gave an uncharacteristic grin as he pushed open the door for the coyote.

* * *

The smell of fresh buttery popcorn hung in the air as the coyote walked down the aisles of various games. It was surprisingly cool, as the coyote fell his fur ruffle and toss around as the air from the ceiling vents blew down on him. The wide selection was apparent as there were several games crammed against the walls in order to fit the games into the small arcade room. A few of the titles stood out to the coyote as he shifted his line of vision.

"Space Invaders, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Mario, Pac-man, Frogger, and Fix-it Felix, very nice," said Jake, pulling several stray quarters as he walked over to one of the consoles.

Much to the coyote's amazement games were in pristine condition as he slid one of his quarters carefully into the slot and pressed the start button as he took control of a small spaceship in the wide void given to him. Jake monitored his screen carefully as the first wave of asteroids of appeared zooming towards his tiny craft. Jake blasted the encroaching asteroids into bits with his lasers as he dodged several of the larger chunks of rock.

"Yeah, get blasted," said Jake, with a confident grin on his face. He had played some arcade games with his dad on their days of and his father had even bought him a copy of Asteroids on his first gaming console. He was a big gamer, but he had certainly had the time to hone his skills at this game as he avoided the fast moving space rocks.

"This is what you consider fun?" asked Rob, who would probably deny the fact that his eyes were glued to the console screen.

"Yeah, do you want the next game?" asked Jake as he let out a small whoop of celebration after a quite literal close encounter with a flying saucer. With another narrow dodge, his inched his ship in between two colliding asteroids.

"I'll pass," said Rob gruffly stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Besides this isn't the game I'm good at."

"You have a preferred game," said Jake momentarily taking his eyes off the screen, turning back just in time to see his ship obliterated by an asteroid. "Not bad, I'm the second top score."

The coyote quickly mashed in the letters JPW and enter it in as Rob looked around the place with and expression of polite curiosity but also of remembrance.

"I remember going here for the first time with my father, how things have changed. There wasn't quite as much of a selection back then. I wonder if Doppelgänger is still around," reminisced the cyclops with a hollow smile on his face.

"I think I saw it somewhere over there," said Jake pointing in the vicinity of the back wall of the arcade.

A wide grin spread over the cyclops' face as he moved his gangly legs over to the machine eagerly. The coyote followed him on the short trip and Rob froze looking at the high scores for the game.

"I'm not on top," said Rob blankly as looked at the scores. To rub salt in the wound both Gumball and Darwin showed up deeply emerged in conversation before Jake stopped them shy of running into the cyclops. Both of them hit Jake as the cyclops scrolled through the list of high scores.

"I knew the combos and everything, how can I not be number one," continued Rob with the same disbelieving expression before the blue cat spoke up.

"Doppelgänger, that game was easy, the combos didn't matter, you could win with the simple, yet effective power of button mashing," replied Gumball, "in fact I'm the new high score on it."

Rob's eye squinted in anger as he slammed both his fists into the front of the console. The whole game shook as he wheeled around in a furious temper towards Gumball. The cyclops eye meet with the blue feline's at the latter quickly broke eye contact looking up at the ceiling of the arcade with a sudden fascination with the ceiling fans as Rob's face creased further with lines of frustration.

"Look at me!" he demanded, making part of the room quake and Gumball was forced to make eye contact with him again. "You mean to tell me, you beat my high score so no one could remember me? Haven't you taken enough, you disfigured me to look like this and that wasn't enough. You had to rub salt in the wound further by mocking me as well?"

"I'm sure they didn't mean it like that Rob," said Jake trying to pull the cyclops backward slightly, but he only received an elbow pushing the dusty coyote back less than a foot.

Things weren't going to proceed well as the cyclops fists tightened and tension seemed to fill the air. Gumball was looking into the pale eye of the cyclops and Darwin was shifting his feet nervously. The place felt like a powder keg that was bound to blow at any given moment.

"I swear Gumball Watterson, do you want to see me just return into nothing as I'm that unintimidating to you?" asked the cyclops, his eye fixed on the young blue cat.

"I didn't know that was your game if I had known-"

"You would have done it anyways, except this time I would be there to witness it?" asked Rob incredulously as waited for any response so he could throw back a retort.

"This doesn't really matter, it's trivial," said Jake as he tried to get the Watterson brothers out of the arcade only for the cyclops to block their path.

"You're not going anyways, you think you can insult Dr. Wrecker and get away with it, and prepare to get-" said cyclops losing his place.

"Wrecked?" Jake suggested helpfully.

"Ah, that's it, wrecked," said Rob thankfully as he pulled out as a strange set of sticks.

"What are you-" started Jake but before he could respond he felt the baton make contact with the side of his head and slumped against one of the game consoles his head pounding like an insane drum solo.

"Ha," said Gumball catching the baton between his paws. "You need to try harder that!"

But Gumball's own overconfidence left him open and Rob shoved against one of the old arcade consoles, putting the baton against his neck.

"I should have sent you into the Void, sadly I didn't have the nerve," said Rob with a growl.

"What are you talking about?" asked Gumball, startled.

"I could have actually stuck you in the Void and left you to rot, I trusted you, I thought you actually cared about me, but you never did, did you?" The cyclops pressed the baton further against his neck.

With a swift motion from Darwin, Rob's legs were knocked out from under him. This didn't stop the cyclops hitting Darwin who went skidding across the arcade floor.

"Darwin!" shouted Gumball who kick the disorientated Rob in the back and taking one of the batons that had fallen to the ground.

The two clashed with swift blows and the sound of the two batons making contact with each other as Gumball thrust forward poking the cyclops in the eye. The cyclops let out a yell of pain drawing back and holding out his baton blindly as his eye irritated eye water leaving it difficult for him to see.

"Sorry," said Gumball as rushed over to him. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

The cyclops hit Gumball in his fury knocking the blue cat over, both combatants recovered as the cyclops blinked trying to get rid of the inflamed feeling in his eye. The two clashed again, but as Gumball did a spinning attack the feline's head was bludgeon by again and the two met in a tight lock as Gumball toppled Rob to the ground.

"I never intended to forget about you Rob, but I understand why you're angry Rob. And I know there is nothing I can do to justify why I forgot you. But my brother and I are going," said Gumball as Rob tried to parry his baton. The blue cat was faster however and disarmed the cyclops and flung his baton away as he walked over to help his brother stand alongside a queasy looking Jake.

Rob felt a venomous hate for all of them, even the coyote whom he had just met.

"This isn't over!" before he knew it the cyclops was back on his feet, his fatigue replaced with energy. "You hear me, you will regret ever crossing me, you deserve no less than the oblivion that I was stuck in!"

The blue cat ignored him helping Darwin over the threshold while the coyote teetering from side to side open the door for them as they disappeared into the massive throng of people.

Rob looked at where they had left. What made them more deserving of the attention they had received? Why did they have families, while he was left alone? The cyclops bent his head over to cry at this.

* * *

 **Another chapter down, I hope you're enjoying the story. I've found ways to look over my work for greater effect and accuracy in my writing abilities. Also, I hope it will help for a better reading experience. As you know Rob is quite lonely and could use a friend, though time might heal wounds between him and the Watterson or may only worsen it. I honestly find Rob as an interesting character in the show and it's about time I incorporated him into the story. Feel free to comment or ask questions, fave, or follow as any support is appreciated. See you in the next chapter, stay cool and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Persona- Part One**

 ** _Something starts going a bit quirky in Elmore during the night unsettling Carrie, Jake, and the Wattersons._**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Considering Rob doesn't like being forgotten or misnamed I thought of a way he'd once again be angered at the Wattersons, Gumball in particular.**

 **-The fact that it has been fifteen chapters since the announcement that Jake's mom is pregnant I want to show her changing as well, as Jake matures as a character as well.**

 **-I made a Wreck-it-Ralph reference in this chapter as Jake observes that Fix-it-Felix is one of the games in the arcade. Considering that movie was one of my favorite animated movies of all time I just had to put that reference into that.**


	21. Chapter 21: The Persona- Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 21: The Persona- Part One

The night in Elmore was something to admire and wonder in, even though the biting cold made standing outside difficult. The city lights gleamed like fireflies and the stars twinkled brilliantly against the velvety black sky that seemed to swallow up most of the area of the forest. A certain group of friends stood the top of the ski slope each with their own thoughts. Gumball wasn't used to the hard to balance skis and flounder his arms around hoping to compensate for this.

"Well, it sure is something," said Penny, her eyes on the stars as Jake pull the ski goggles off his face, shaking the snow collected on his fur off.

"Agreed," said Gumball enthusiastically, as he neatly tumbled into a snowbank.

"Nice moves Gumball," giggled Kelsey as the blue cat cleared his goggle from the snow on them.

"Phff, phff!" Gumball exclaimed as he spit the mouthfuls of snow out his mouth. "I really need to get the hang of this."

Kelsey dug her poles resting her chin on the handle into the snow as she watched the blue cat with polite interest as he clambered up.

"You know, you'd do a better job if you use your poles for balance, otherwise you'll end up falling over every time," replied Kelsey slyly as the blue cat responded with angry muttering.

"He's not like this often," explained Penny grimacing as Kelsey giggled in glee.

"Let's just enjoy the moment," replied Jake as they jumped out of the way for a pair of skiers who keep interweaving their paths. Jake found himself watching the boy and girl who had stopped and they were now in an embrace.

"Well, agreed," said Kelsey, grinning at Jake in particular who found himself grinning stupidly back before he shook himself out of it.

"So Gumball, looking forward to the holidays?" asked Penny, adjusting her scarf.

"Most definitely, I can't wait for Christmas," said Gumball, nodding in response. "There's Christmas presents, hot chocolate, Santa, and mistletoe..."

Gumball broke off at this as he and Penny both blushed deeply, and Jake and Kelsey both gave looks being taken aback by this. While Darwin looked over at Carrie who was just as startled.

"Come on, please don't tell me I'm the only one who is thinking about a holiday romance," said Gumball, goofily as he looked at Jake as if hoping he would suddenly declare his crush on Kelsey.

"Gumball, only you'd be the one to bring something like that up," said Jake, shaking his head as Kelsey raised her eyebrow at this statement.

"Are you not one for company or something?" inquired Kelsey as she brushed off her coat.

"Not at all, I never said that," said the coyote meeting the amber fox's gaze.

"Alright then," said Kelsey, but there was an obvious air of coolness to it.

Jake shook his head, thinking of ways to amend his statement. The shower of snow over him from passing skiers didn't help as the coyote's train of thought was shattered and Kelsey joined them skiing down the hill. The coyote waited as the others followed as he went down the ski slope. This night greatly reminded him of one October night where he had traveled to Elmore Museum... The museum! Jake's heart almost skipped a beat as he remembered the chilling presence in the backroom. Whatever was back there wasn't anything natural, as whatever existed in that room had plans of its own. Whatever it was Jake couldn't help wondering what could be back there. That sinister presence greatly reminded him of Randal. Jake knew one person who would be able to have the answers for him in the Elmore Museum. It was just a matter of getting to them.

* * *

The suit of armor stretch leisurely as Jake approached him, the poltergeist recognized the coyote at once springing off his pedestal to greet him.

"Young master Wiley, it is good to see you again," said the suit of armor in his raspy voice as his fiddle with his halberd and his plume of blue feathers on the back of his helmet. "Are you here for a tour of the museum after hours? Or perhaps do you wish to talk to me, I do so enjoy the company of mortals!"

"I'm not here for that kind of stuff Hugo, I was wondering, what exactly is in the museum backroom?" asked Jake, as Hugo's visor dropped off his face and he hastened to screw that part back together with his helmet.

"That's a question not many ask, especially not mortals. Suffice to say, the thing back there isn't one we deem worthy with interacting with other spirits, so it was locked away for good measure," said Hugo, suddenly becoming increasingly interested with his pike. "Master Wiley, why don't we visit a different part of the museum shall we?"

"Well, Gumball and I were once stranded in the backroom once by accident," stated Jake and the suit of armor leaped a foot into the air.

"Into the back room! Master Wiley, do you realize how dangerous that is? The creature that dwells in there has been waiting centuries for a host to inhabit, you're lucky you even got out of there, never bring up this subject again," said Hugo firmly brushing the small coyote to the door. "Goodnight, and please get some rest and come back once you forget about that back room entirely."

"Alright then," said Jake, intending to keep that promise as he made his way back home. As much as he wanted to see what was in the backroom he wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble and the way Hugo had worded it, the thing in there sounded like a handful.

The coyote entered the hall of his house dusting off the snow from his clothes, giving his parents weary greetings as he made his way upstairs. He took a warm shower, getting the cold chilly sensation from his fur to be gone as he went to bed laying down on the soft sheets. The silence of the night was somewhat eerie as he adjusted his pillow fluffing it up and laying his head down on it. The neon blue numbers on his alarm clock seemed to slowly shift by and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The coyote felt himself stirring, but not in the familiar setting of his bedroom, but in a damp and mildewy room. The very air in the room was like a poisonous fume as the are smelt heavily of decay as he looked around at the familiar walls, where the paint was peeling off and added to the decrepit look of the room. The question the coyote would have asked first was who brought him here. But he slowly realized he was no longer in his pajamas and was dressed in his winter clothes as if it had been of his own accord. With a shock of realization, he noticed that he was in the back room of the museum.

"Looks like you've got my invitation," said a voice in the room echoing all around him having no apparent source at all. The very voice seemed to seep from the walls. The very voice was as sharp as an icy dagger as the coyote's hairs stood up and he froze in place. "Don't be alarmed, I established a connection with you quite some time ago Jake Wiley, when you first entered this room, let us help each other."

The coyote wanted to yell out loud, he wanted to return to the familiar feeling of his bed and the safety of his own home. His mind, however, was numbed to his thoughts as if he was two separate entities. Jake stumbled to the altar and he ran his hand over it, a thin layer of dust was expelled from it as the coyote inched towards it cautiously. With a sharp, but quick pain, he felt a stab in his paw and he drew it back seeing there were several beads of blood on the surface of it. His very blood seemed to change its color from a scarlet red to a pale icy blue. It startled him and from thin air, there was suddenly a cup in front of it. A silver chalice, with weird writing on the brim of it and with a substance that appeared to be liquid, but seemed to have a chilly mist surrounding it.

"Drink from it," demanded the voice and Jake was forced by the burning sensation in his blood to lift the chalice to his lips and drain the whole cup. An unnatural weariness came over his body and he felt himself slump over and drift into unconsciousness.

Jake awoke, with a start, the buzz of alarm clock filling his ears as he yawned, and slammed his first on top of the alarm clock in order to silence it.

'That was one of the weirdest dreams I've had,' thought Jake as he jumped out of bed. He was taken aback by how vivid and real it had seemed as he reached for his clothes and his backpack. It suddenly dawned on him that he was wearing his clothes and his backpack.

 _'Strange, I don't recall getting into my clothes,'_ thought Jake as he stretched.

Jake pulled the sheets off of him and clambered out of bed. He dragged himself to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. The coyote studied his reflection closely in the mirror nothing seemed too different as Jake pulled out his tube of toothpaste. He put on a dab of toothbrush and brushed thoroughly the welcoming taste of spearmint greeted him and he spat the paste and wiped rest of the toothpaste with the back of his pajama's sleeve. The house was quiet as Jake hopped down the entire staircase landing nimbly on his feet. He felt better and more refreshed than in a long time.

The atmosphere of the house was quiet besides the clattering of dishes. Glenn stood next to the table scanning the newspaper while Brooke was drinking coffee. They both looked up at their son startled by the fact he was already up and dressed.

"My goodness Jake, you're up bright and early," said Brooke beaming as he jumped into his seat and started going to town on his breakfast.

"Slow down sport, enjoy it," said Glenn chuckling as the coyote finished up, rushing over to both his parents.

"It's too good of a day to waste," said Jake as he grabbed both of his parents putting them into a tight hug, causing them to exchange shocked looks.

"Geez Jake, I haven't had a hug like this from you since you were in preschool," giggled Brooke as the smaller coyote let go of them.

"Can't we just sit down and enjoy the moment for once," replied Jake as he led them over to the table.

"Alright son, what's been going on?" said Glenn as he reclined back in his chair.

"The usual," said Jake shrugging. "School's been going well and all that, I managed to pull a ninety-seven on one of the quizzes I've had recently so, that's good."

"Good to hear son," said Glenn as he fixed his shirt's collar. "How are your friends Gumball and Darwin doing, and what about your lovely friend Kelsey?"

Jake's spirits seemed to deflate slightly at this, what was he going to say to her? He had left a bit suddenly after their friendly skiing event. Maybe he could work something out.

"Well, you ought to get going to Jake," said Brooke pushing him out the door comfortingly. "Go on, you've got a long day ahead of you."

"Right," said Jake nodding sardonically, as he looked for the bright yellow school bus. It usually took a while for it to arrive at his house due to this distance between his house and the school. The bus came around the corner quite literally on two wheels before hitting the curb sending a shower of sparks in Jake's direction and causing a horrible grinding noise before the doors swung open to reveal an exhausted Rocky.

"Morning little buddy," greeted the puppet yawning loudly before pouring half his mug of coffee down as Jake greeted him with a nod before moving down the aisle.

The usual signs caught his eye. Tina moved her foot out into the aisle in order to trip the coyote but he quickly jumped over it, rolling his eyes at her feeble attempt as he made his way to the back of the bus sitting in the seat in front of Kelsey, but not before giving her a warm smile.

The school day was far better than the coyote had previously. The coyote was able to distract Miss Simian from her lecture enough that they didn't receive homework, and furthermore Jake enjoyed a competitive game of basketball with Gumball and Darwin. It was on their way to lunch that they looked down the corridor to see Tina Rex and her usual cronies guarding the entrance to the cafeteria to shake down the students for their lunch money. Jake could feel a newfound anger simmering over him as the t-rex waited for them to approach.

"You know how this works, hand over your portion of your lunch money and no one gets hurt," said Tina, leering at them as she held out her small arm expectingly.

"I don't think you have me convinced," replied Jake coldly. Jake noticed that Kelsey had stopped in her tracks right in front of the cafeteria as Jake crossed his arms.

"Oh, so the coyote thinks he's a tough guy?" inquired the t-rex.

"Tougher than you, and I've developed more than a backbone against you pirates," replied Jake as he braced himself.

"Oh yeah?" asked the hybrid not at all convinced.

Jake surprised himself as he grabbed ahold of Jamie's green shirt. It was almost instinctive as he felt icy cold with anger. The whole hall seemed to freeze their attention focused on the coyote and the hybrid.

"Really," replied Jake with a grin as he pushed her back slightly causing her to teeter backward.

"I swear, you're a dead man," growled Jamie as she brushed off her shirt.

"I'd like to see you try horn-head," retorted Jake cracking his knuckles uncharacteristically. "It's about time that I taught you a lesson."

Before either of them could through a punch a blur of gray zoomed in between them breaking them up. A certain pale-skinned humanoid was standing between them.

"Okay, break it up!" said Cato bravely as both of them tried to reach around him to hit the other. However, the humanoid resolutely blocked them from touching each other. Eventually, both of them broke apart as Cato moved aside. The humanoid turned to the coyote with a disapproving look on his face.

"You shouldn't be picking fights with people, Jake. Least of all them, they're a force to be reckoned with," began Cato before Jake cut him off.

"I had it under control," replied Jake, slightly irritated. "Besides, you speak for yourself, you're the one who picked a fight with Randal once."

Cato turned slightly paler than he usually was at this. "That was different, I was protecting you from him, I didn't want to start the fight."

"Well, it sure looked like you were the cause behind it," said Jake, coldly.

The pale-skinned humanoid was taken aback by this. "What's your problem man?"

"I'm fine," said Jake shaking his head. "Just a slight headache is all."

"Well, just chill out a bit dude, come on," said Cato as he led his group of friends into the cafeteria.

The coyote hit the side of his head in annoyance at the pain coursing through it as he pulled the bandana off from around his neck before moving into the cafe with his friends.

"Hey Jake," said Kelsey awkwardly walking up beside Jake.

"Hey Kelse," replied Jake wearily as walked into line his head spinning as he leaned against the counter.

"Are you feeling alright, you just don't seem like you that's all," said Kelsey as she inched closer to him.

"I'll be fine," said Jake, hoping the pain would subside as he pressed his face into his face and brushed his messy fur out of his eyes.

"I see, would you like to sit with me, you don't have to, but I'd appreciate the company," said Kelsey, placing her paw on top of his.

"I'll pass," said Jake somewhat hesitantly as he looked over at the table of girls all waving for Kelsey to join them. "I've got some things I've got to do anyways."

"If that's your choice," said Kelsey backing away reluctantly before giving the coyote a quick hug. "I'll see you around Jake."

"Later Kelse," said Jake as he grabbed his lunch from the counter the wonderful smell of spaghetti and meatballs wafting into the air as he moved his tray to the nearest table. He munched down quickly on his spaghetti. It was quite delicious and satisfying as he slurped down the rest of it.

* * *

After a rather enjoyable lunch the Wattersons, Jake, and Cato headed into Miss Simian's class. The room was stiflingly hot as the baboon sat at her desk shivering slightly and sneezing profusely.

"Get to work on your lab reports on chemical reactions," said Miss Simian hacked as she tried to stop her fit of coughing.

The sweltering heat made it difficult for even Jake to focus as he usually used to high temperatures. Gumball and Darwin stood slumped over their textbooks in a lethargic state. The whole class was having difficulty following the lesson plan as they hurried around the room acquiring the chemicals they were going to use for the experiment.

Jake's eye drooped as he pouring over the beaker he was supposed to be looking at. The task was quite boring in truth as he looked at the pale liquid for any sign of change, but nothing about it had changed. Gumball yawn loudly getting a nasty glare from Miss Simian before she had to sneeze into her handkerchief. Even Cato showed signs of weariness as he floundered around with his chemicals almost spill some of his copper sulfate and the humanoid used his super speed to stop the glass from spilling causing the glass to resound as he went back to work.

"Having trouble keeping awake?" asked a familiar voice. Jake recognized Randal's voice almost instantly as he gazed at his glass ignoring the charcoal gray wolverine. "You may want to keep alert, your chemical reaction already happened."

The dusty brown coyote shook his head. Randal spoke the truth the process had finally finished and Jake hastily opened up his notebook to record his observations as Randal turned back to work on his own works. Over the past several days it was clear that something was troubling Randal as the wolverine had the habit of staying out in the halls in order to monitor the other students of Elmore Junior High as if to better understand them and find their flaws. Now however he moved from class to class as silent as a shadow. This sudden change in behavior had to be due to something.

Jake yawned lazily, the sweltering heat affect the sharpness of his mind as the room looked as if he was looking through a smeared camera lense. All the features of the room seemed to be fuzzy and the voices sounded as if they were coming from a long tunnel. He would have given anything to get out of the burning room. The coyote's eyes closed as Jake leaned over the counter his will to stay awake slowly draining away as he fell asleep on top of his desk.

Gumball roused Jake from his sleep, shaking the coyote's shoulder. Who quickly bolted upright.

"Huh? What happened?" inquired Jake as he hopped up from his lab table almost knocking over his own stuff in the process.

"You sort of fell asleep, you still managed to pull a decent grade on the lab a C-plus," said Gumball grimacing as the coyote facepalmed angrily.

"I should have paid attention," said Jake in distress.

"That's not all, Tina Rex and Jamie want to see you after school. From what I can tell it's not going to be friendly," said Gumball nervously.

"I would expect nothing less," said Jake bitterly.

"Maybe you should let me take the lead on this one," said Gumball placing his paw on the coyote's shoulder.

"You think you can just whisk my problems away Gumball," said Jake angrily throwing off his friend's paw.

"Well, we're just trying to help," said Darwin awfully softspoken.

"Help? That's funny, because if I recall you're the ones who usually are the source of my problems," snarled Jake spitefully in response. Both of the Watterson brothers were startled by this and stepped away from the coyote, who stormed off before either of them could get a word in.

The coyote pushed through the hallways not caring who he bumped into or pushed past. He even brushed into a familiar looking amber fox who looked concerned as the coyote left the building into the cold outside.

"Stupid kids," said the coyote kicking up snow as he walked to take out his frustrations.

"Well, look who's here," said Jamie who was leaning against a street light as the coyote approach. "Your timing is impeccable."

"Cut the crap Jamie, I've got places to go," said Jake, tightening his backpack down and glaring at her.

"I'm sure you do, but you're not going anywhere."

With that the hybrid grabbed the coyote's arms forcing them up into the air before kicking Jake hard in the ribs. The coyote was knocked off his feet sliding through the snow skidding to a halt in front of a large snow bank.

The coyote tried to get up, but the toughened hybrid was already behind him, seizing his arms and forcing them still as she knocked him down onto his knees.

"Tina, time to make him hurt," said Jamie, with a horrible grin.

A weird sensation came over Jake, it was like his limbs were being tied to invisible strings as his body began to fight back against Jamie's grip of its own accord.

"Hold still..." said Jamie through gritted teeth, but the coyote had no intention of staying at that very spot as he flipped out of her grip landing behind her.

"Uh oh," said Jamie as the t-rex slipped on a patch of ice skidding into the hybrid and colliding and being knocked to the ground as the coyote rushed over to them.

Part of him wanted to check if they were alright, but it was like his body was on autopilot. He hit the jaw of the t-rex with a backflip kick staggering her as the dusty brown coyote dodged a strike from Jamie. The coyote countered launching himself at he and knocking her to the ground in a swift move.

"Hey what are you doing?" asked Jamie as the coyote lifted her into a surprising feat of strength and tossed her into Tina knocking both of them backward. "That's impossible!"

"I just rewrote the rules!" snarled Jake triumphantly. The coyote could feel his mouth moving involuntarily to make the words.

 _'Please, stop this madness, someone is going to get hurt,'_ thought Jake but his body didn't seem to register this as he threw himself into the fray battering the two bullies in a swift series of blows, jumping from one to the other, each time catching them off guard.

The coyote leaped over Tina's tail barely missing his leg, this didn't stop him however as he delivered a punch that caused her whole snout to shudder with pain. The feeling of anger seemed to flow through him like a bolt of lightning filling him with fury as he knocked the hybrid down with a lunge, dodged, and delivered an uppercut to the t-rex.

"Don't hurt us!" squealed Jamie, her voice hilariously high-pitched and frightened. Jake felt his face change into a grin of satisfaction.

"I can't guarantee that."

But with a heave of willpower Jake fought back and he fell to his knees drained as he backed away from the bullies frightened by what had happened.

"No, I'm not going to hurt you," said Jake, frightened slightly as the two bullies exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"Then what was all that about?" asked Jamie.

"I don't know," panted Jake in response as looked at the sheet of ice in front of him. He noticed he didn't look the same. His eyes that were usually a bright green had turned to a cold blue color.

 _'What's happening to me?'_ thought Jake as he looked at his own paws.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the first part of this episode. Let me know what you thought of the chapter in the comments, once again all support is appreciated, and if you feel like following this story or favoriting it go ahead as I greatly appreciate the support. I'll be starting to work with my beta soon on future chapters. Also, keep your eyes peel for an Outsider spinoff called The Pup that will be set to show up this Halloween. As always thanks for reading. Anyways, in the meantime stay cool and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Persona- Part Two**

 ** _Jake finds himself locked in a mental battle with the spirit that is now trying to take possession of his body. Meanwhile the gang must stop a possessed Jake from causing too much damage and help the coyote break free._**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I purposely made the lead into this chapter a bit deceptive as I wanted it to be more of a surprise to you guys and gals. Though I'm sure Steelwall5 suspected something, congrats if you did pal.**

 **-Hopefully I will be coordinating with my new beta as we exchange ideas for this story. And for who it is I want it to be a surprise. ;)**

 **-The spirit that was in the backroom is in fact possessing Jake, you'll get a good look at him in the next chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22: The Persona- Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 22: The Persona- Part Two

The dusty brown coyote sat there for a few moments, contemplating what was happening to himself as he found the strength to rise from the ground. Jake couldn't help but get the idea that something was trying to control him.

 _'Maybe Carrie has answers to what's going on?'_ concluded Jake as the coyote looked at his paws as if desperately hoping that the answer would present itself instantly. _'Maybe that encounter in that back room wasn't a dream?'_

The coyote shudder at this as he made his way to Carrie's house in search of answers. Though as he started to move his legs seemed to seize up, no longer willing to obey his command. An angry hiss seemed to resonate from the depths of his mind as he struggled to move his body, only to find himself almost entirely disconnected from it, as if he was observing what he was seeing from the backseat of a car; no longer in control, but aware of what was happen. With a tug, he felt as if his mind was torn from his body as he entered a black abyss with pressure crushing his lungs.

It all ceased as quickly as it had come, Jake found himself in a darkly lit room of sorts, there seemed to be no walls and the darkness closed in around him on all sides.

"Enjoying the change in scenery," asked a sarcastic voice, one he did not know as he wheeled about to face the stranger. In shock and horror he back away at the form of the phantom he was facing.

It was another coyote his features exactly the same as his to an almost frightening level of accuracy, except for a few differences. The features of the other Jake were more distorted, and had a waxy, almost smeared appearance to them.

"Alarming isn't it? Though I got to say, this is a nice place to stay, and the rent isn't all too bad," replied the spirit sarcastically gnashing his sharp teeth together.

"Talk about daggers in men's smiles," Jake muttered as he looked at his doppelgänger with confusion. "Who are you?"

"The more accurate question would be 'what am I?'" replied the spirit with an unsettling grin. "I'm Anger, in its most potent form."

"Anger? What do you want with me?"

"Simple, I think I need someone who I can relate to is all, and use as a sufficient host," said the spirit with an almost unsettling joy to his voice.

The coyote shuddered but composed himself. "So you're nothing more than a common parasite, big deal."

Anger's eyes flashed a vibrant blue at this before they returned to normal, his look of rage turning to a smirk. "Well in simple terms really, but I can see why you have a misconception of what I am. Though I do believe we can help each other out."

"Let me go, I'm not going to play your games," said Jake definitely as Anger smiled.

"Oh, I know everything about you Jake Wiley, your fears, hopes, dreams, and problems," said Anger. "I have bonded with you, mind, body, and soul. So, why try to fight it, you'll just end up being mine anyways. There's nowhere where you can hide from me."

"I don't belong to you," said Jake, his fists curling as Anger encircled him over and over and over again.

"Oh, I already own you," said the spirit, grinning. "Think about it, the wolverine constantly getting on your nerves, your family making you just a little bit angry because you never knew you were going to be an older brother, and anger at yourself for not asking out that lovely fox. Each one of these just agitated you in the slightest way to allow me to gain control over you, convenient, isn't it?"

The coyote had enough as he ran at the spirit attempting to tackle him, but he phased through him as if he was nothing but a mist, causing the coyote to fall to the ground.

"You are unbearably naïve," said Anger rolling his eyes. "Do you really think you can just force me out of here? I'm part of you now."

"You're nothing but a worthless fiend," growled Jake in response to this.

"If it's going to come down to this, then so be it, I will engage in your primitive tussle for control, at least it won't be boring," said the spirit in a mocking tone as Jake jumped back onto his feet.

The spirit struck at superhuman speed, jumping at him with powerful swings and the coyote was knocked backward with off his feet hitting a wall.

"I swear, that wasn't there before," quipped Jake clutching his bruised shoulder as he rubbed it.

"Come on, I thought you wanted a fight," jeered Anger as Jake rotated his arm.

"I'll only be a second, mate," said Jake as he brought his fists in front of him. "Okay, ready for more!"

The spirit laughed at this. "I like your enthusiasm kid!"

This gave Jake an opening as he rammed the spirit with his bad shoulder.

"Ow, not my brightest idea," said Jake, grimacing as the spirit glared at him before lifting him off the ground.

The coyote struggled against the spirit's powerful grip on him. The spirit then tossed him like a ragdoll sending the coyote soaring what felt like one-hundred feet in the air. The wonderful and terrifying feeling of weightless filled him, but he hit the ground hard and tumble across the floor with no sign of the second Jake.

"Where could he be?" asked Jake scanning the dark and foreboding surroundings. The spirit sprung right from their surrounds like a shadow entangling Jake.

"All too easy," jeered the spirit as Jake fought the grip of the spirit though it felt like heavy chains were now bearing down on him. Struggle though he might the coyote couldn't break free. "You're in my world now!"

* * *

Kelsey paced around in her room, there wasn't much to do on a winter day. She flopped down on her bed looking at the ceiling as she thought about what to do next. There was always Jake to talk to, he was one of best friends after all. However, she could help but think he wasn't acting like himself recently.

 _'A phone call should suffice,'_ she thought to herself as she pulled her cell phone from her jean's pocket and quickly dialed the coyote's cellphone. It rang for several seconds before going to voicemail. 'He must be doing something important.'

The sound of the doorbell from downstairs alerted Kelsey, causing her ears to perk up as she left her room and slid down the banister to investigate who could possibly be visiting, and a fleeting part of her hoped that it was Jake with an explanation to the day's events. However, it wasn't coyote waiting for her downstairs rather, the familiar faces of Gumball, Darwin, and Carrie.

"Oh, hello, what are you doing here?" asked Kelsey pleasantly as the blue cat rushed over the threshold.

"Have you seen Jake recently?" asked Gumball, in a panicked voice.

"Uh, no not since school got out," admitted Kelsey as the trio exchanged worried looks. "What's wrong?"

"Well, Jake is trying to pick a fight with Tina and Jamie, which won't end well," said Darwin nervously. "And we figured that since your close to him, you may be able to talk him out of it."

"If Jake is in trouble then that's what I'll do," said Kelsey decisively as she tightened her hoodie around herself and stepped into the dry cold winter outside. Brushing the fur out of her eyes the fennec fox looked around at each of them. "Where did you see him last?"

The possessed Jake made his way through Elmore, looking into the various storefronts, his solid blue eyes gleaming like shards of ice in the glass. His appearance wasn't that of the old weak willed coyote, he had risen above that, there was nothing to fear, he was stronger than ever before in this new body. Every one of his senses were stimulated, the air was fresh and cold. The smells of gasoline and food filled his nostrils and both beckoned and nauseated him. This was a wonderful new experience was only punctuated by the sting of the icy snow covering his feet as moved through the town. A familiar sight reached his eyes, a boy in a gray hoodie stood in front of him.

"Hey Jake, what's happening?" asked the pale skinned boy as he looked at the coyote's chilly blue eyes. When he didn't answer, the humanoid raised an eyebrow quizzically. "You feeling alright?"

And without provocation, the coyote sucker punched the humanoid in the chest, and he rolled backward. They possessed coyote pounced at him in a furious frenzy, the humanoid hastened to use his super speed to avoid his attacks. The coyote quickly adapted his technique, with the same fury as before and landed several hits staggering the humanoid.

"I didn't want to do this Jake, but I see you can't be reasoned with. Sorry pal!" and with that, the humanoid delivered an uppercut sending the coyote of his feet as Cato zoomed away with a burst of speed. The possessed coyote jumped to his feet but did not pursue. He could wait, after all, he just had to be patient. In fact, he welcomed the challenge of facing these adversaries.

The emo ghost girl, amber fox, blue cat, and walking goldfish all proceed at a brisk pace down the sidewalk due to their urgent circumstances. A flash of bright yellow lightning signal that they weren't along as the four friends cleared a path for the pale-skinned humanoid to slow his crazy dash down to a skid. The soles of his shoes were slightly melted and the recently frozen sidewalk had a thick pool of water on top of it.

"What's the rush all the sudden Cato?" asked Kelsey as the humanoid panted quickly.

"Something is wrong with Jake, he's not himself," said Cato as they all looked at him before Carrie responded.

"How exactly did he respond to seeing you?"

"He just sort of shook slightly, before he straightened up and attacked me," replied Cato somewhat confused. "Do you know what exactly what's going on?"

"I have a hunch, Jake seems to be showing symptoms of being possessed," said Carrie slowly. "Any other distinguishing changes in Jake's features?"

"Yeah, his eyes were a pale blue if I remember correctly," stated Cato nonchalantly.

"Pale blue? Are you sure?" said Carrie, her change in tone so sudden that all of them exchanged scared looks.

"Pretty sure."

"This is bad, this is really bad," said Carrie in dismay. "As far as lore would have it, that spirit is Anger in its purest form. It's quite potent, Jake is in serious danger if that is the case."

"What exactly does all this mean?" said Kelsey in a small voice, fear seemed to have a tight grip on her throat.

"Anger isn't like other spirits like Jealousy, it wants to make a permeate bond with its host to ensure that it always has a body if Jake allows Anger to take hold there's no telling if we'll ever get him back,"explained Carrie.

"No, Jake won't let Anger take hold, I'm sure of that," said Kelsey firmly as Gumball and Darwin exchanged nervous looks.

"I hope you're right, I think I know someone who could help out, though, he'll probably be a bit reluctant though..."

* * *

Everyone had to do a double take to see if they were seeing things correctly. They were standing outside a fairly plain ranch house, its white porch, and lime green walls stung the eyes as they looked at it. The snow was piled up huge piles almost reaching the windows and there were no lights on in the inside. The house seemed a bit atypical, but nothing out of the ordinary as Gumball crept up the stairs, each making loud squeaking noises before he knocked on the door. Not even a second had passed before Gumball turned tail and walked away from the door.

"It's no good, we tried," said Gumball dryly as the door swung open revealing the face of a certain disgruntled wolverine.

"Well look who it is," growled the charcoal gray wolverine as Gumball turned pale.

"This is the dude you had in mind? You know he's not exactly the friendly type, especially when it comes to us," said Gumball as the wolverine directed his attention to them.

"Forgive our intrusion Randal, but we would like to request your help," said Carrie as Randal's glare softened slightly but still remained quite foreboding.

"And what could you possibly need my help with and more importantly I'm not something for you to call upon for your convenience, we're enemies," said Randal.

"I don't believe that, the world is more gray than you care to believe, and this is your chance to be something more than just yourself. I implore you, Randal, don't just slam the door on our face. We need you," said Kelsey with a response so suddenly it surprised all of them. Even Randal looked partially convinced by her words.

"That's still a pretty tall order," said Randal reluctantly.

"You get to punch Jake as an added bonus," suggested Gumball, and the wolverine gave a look of mild amusement at this.

"So how will this work, and how do I factor into this," said Randal looking around at each of them.

"I'll possess your body and use it to hold Jake in place as I use a spell to expel something that has taken over Jake's body," said Carrie, making eye contact with the wolverine.

"That's no fun," said Randal sullenly as he ceased cracking his knuckles.

"We want to stray away from any permanent damage to Jake," said Kelsey, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I get it, don't hurt the runt."

"Are you ready then," asked Darwin cautiously.

"Yeah, if you want to do the honors Carrie go ahead," said Randal, as he took a deep breath.

"This might be a bit uncomfortable," said Carrie as she flew into the wolverine's body.

A strange sensation overcame the wolverine as ghost took control, it was that of hunger, joy, and that of surprise. The wolverine felt a bit shut out, but he waited for the ghost to respond. The ghost was surprised by the wolverine's powerful build as she took control of the body.

"Remember Carrie, restrain yourself, there's no time for a crazy junk food spree," said Gumball, shivering slightly at the memory.

"Yes, I know Gumball," said Carrie slightly agitated, it was weird for the others to see Carrie's voice come out of the wolverine.

"Okay, this is pretty awkward," admitted Darwin grimacing as the wolverine shook their head.

 _'Restrain yourself, Carrie, I don't feel like ending up like a potbellied bear,'_ thought Randal, no doubt annoyed by the lack of control over his own body.

 _'Are you going to do this the whole time Randal?'_ asked Carrie she forced the wolverine's body forward.

 _'Okay, I'm trusting you,'_ replied the wolverine uneasily.

"Let's go find Jake," said Kelsey as they proceeded to where Cato had last seen the coyote.

* * *

The old and decrepit graveyard was where the possessed coyote resided. The piles of snow had accumulated over the headstones in fluffy mounds and the worn and withered writing made it hard to determine who each headstone belonged to. The creepy air to it wasn't reduced as a thick mist had covered the surrounding and shrouded everything within a few feet from sight. He leaned against a rather exquisite tomb of white marble, he was certain the others would show up, his tracks were easy enough to follow the footprints left in the snow. And sure enough, the familiar sight of Jake's friends cropped out of nowhere from the surrounding mist, each cautious as they approached the coyote.

"Welcome," said the spirit he gave a grin of cool-headed confidence.

"Let him go," said Kelsey fiercely as the spirit cackled madly.

"Jake is nothing more than a phantom now, I'm the one in control."

"Okay 'Phantom Jake', we're not letting you control our friend," said Gumball determined.

"I'm surprised he surrounded himself with friends as mediocre as you," retorted Phantom Jake scornfully.

"Keep your cool Gumball," said Darwin blocking his brother's path. "Remember, stick to the plan."

"Plan?" growled Phantom Jake and for the first time, there was concern in his voice.

"Darn, I really wish I hadn't said that," said Darwin facepalming. "It's now or never Carrie!"

The wolverine leaped from the top of the granite tomb clumsily tackling the coyote to the ground. The coyote tried to heave the large wolverine off of himself.

"Ha, gotcha!" yelled Carrie triumphantly as the possessed coyote blasted the wolverine off with some strange form of magic, it was almost like pale blue fire, leaving singe marks on the wolverine's jacket. "Augh."

 _'Keep your guard up Carrie,'_ reminded Randal earnestly.

 _'Now you tell me,'_ said Carrie somewhat groggily as she lifted the wolverine's tall frame back up from the ground.

The others had scattered to draw Phantom Jake's attention as the wolverine's and ghost's share form could recover.

"You know, you're even uglier than before," said Gumball humorously as the possessed coyote hurled the pale blue fire at the blue cat who dodged it easily.

"Shut up!" roared the coyote in anger as his blue eyes flashed dangerously. The flame obliterated the headstone that Gumball was standing in front of seconds before.

"And your aim is atrocious, unless if you were aiming at that headstone, in which case well done," laughed Gumball as he dashed out of the way of another bolt of fire. "Come on Snuffles, you can do better than that."

"Don't call me that, I hate that name!" roared the possessed Jake, his eyes flashing back to Jake's normal green for a second.

"Jake, if you can hear us, don't give up, you can beat this," said Darwin walking up to the coyote who was clutching his forward, but with a blast of energy, Darwin was knocked into a tombstone. "Okay, I guess you're still fighting against him."

"Are you alright Darwin," said Carrie as Randal's body slid underneath a blast of energy.

"I think I'll be fine, you just worry about getting Jake back to normal," responded Darwin.

Phantom Jake had corner Kelsey against the back of a tombstone as he snarled at her.

"Jake, I know you're in there, this isn't the real you. I know you're still in there, so fight it Jake, and let your true self shine through," pleaded Kelsey, this seemed to have an effect on Jake and he held back though the spirit tried to shake it off.

"Kelsey," panted Jake desperately, temporarily in control of his body again.

"Keep fighting Jake!" said Kelsey encouragingly.

"He's mine!" retorted the spirit quickly seizing control again.

"No, I won't let you do this! I'm not going to let you hurt her either!" said Jake fighting back in desperation.

This gave the opening Carrie needed as she hit the shared form of spirit and the coyote with a spell blasting them away from Kelsey.

"You've got to let out friend go Anger," said Carrie fiercely as the possessed coyote leaped off the ground in one swift motion. "Go back to the abyss and the shadows that await you!"

The ghost girl's voice seemed to be magnified two or three times its regular volume.

"I will never return to that prison, this is my hour!" roared the spirit in a voice more terrifying and deafening than the ghost's.

And at the same time, they shot out spells, one that was as bright as scarlet fire, and the other as pale as ice. They met in the center of the graveyard causing a ferocious torrent. The link between the spells seemed to be growing bigger and both of the combatants' eyes widened as they drew them in close to the inescapable vortex in between them. Try as they might they were being pulled in further and Phantom Jake tried to hold on to a tombstone before it was wrenched from their grasps and they were pulled into the center.

The coyote's and wolverine's fingertips merely touched one another and then Jake felt various images flood his mind as viciously as the torrent. The first was one of a boy no older than four clinging tightly to his mother's leg, laughing joyously, not a worry in the world as his mother tried to pull him off her leg. The next scene flashed to several years later, it was the boy about seven or eight sitting in a room alone, a sullen expression on his face as he stared at the one photograph in his bedroom a look of sorrow and grief that almost haunted Jake to see. The picture skipped again, to a scene of the same boy, about ten now, a look of horror on his face at the newly formed scars across his face, blood still dripping down his snout as he stood in front of a bathroom mirror. It took a second for the coyote to realize he was actually seeing Randal's own memories. Jake's curiosity spiked, was this what happened to Randal during his life? Where had those scars come from? Were there other secrets that Randal was hiding?

But just as quickly Jake felt himself being torn away from Randal's memories as Phantom Jake collapsed to the ground. The shock still was fresh in Jake's mind as he felt the spirit get off the ground.

"What happened?" growled Phantom Jake as he brushed the snow off of himself and tidied his appearance. But the wolverine grabbed the coyote by the wrist.

With a pain as sharp as when the spirit had entered his body he saw the spirit of Anger leave his body, and he felt himself collapse backward into the cold snow utterly drained. The spirit was like a thin blue mist with the same piercing blue eyes.

"Not like this!" exclaimed Anger trying to free himself from the wolverine's grip.

"You're not going anywhere Anger, you're going back to where you belong," said Carrie spitefully, and the spirit was sent into the air writhing in pain and he disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Once there was no sign of Anger, Carrie departed from Randal's body and the wolverine bent over on one knee, looking quite queasy.

"I'm glad that's over," responded the charcoal gray wolverine as he brushed the snow off his jacket. Carrie met Jake's eye and from the look alone he knew that she had seen the same thing.

Jake almost approached the wolverine but a fennec fox was hugging him tightly before he could get over to him.

"It's good to have you back Jake," said Kelsey in relief.

"Uh, thanks," said Jake awkwardly as he looked towards the wolverine, who was already departing from the group. Noticing Jake was looking at him he gave a sharp growl, causing the others to jump in surprise.

"What are you still doing here?" asked Gumball.

"There are certain details I want to discuss with the coyote," snarled Randal as Jake gulped.

"If you want to talk to Jake you can talk to all of us," said Kelsey aggressively.

The wolverine's gaze sharpened as he turned to the amber fox. "I don't think so."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about Kelsey," said Jake hesitantly as he got up. He was going to stand up to Randal no matter what, but something was different about Randal as he walked away from the group.

"How much did you see?" he growled as his eyes met Jake's.

"Not much, only snippets really," replied Jake and Randal nodded, gazing into the distance, the same cold demeanor that he was known for etched on his face.

"You not only saw my memories, but I saw yours," said Randal pausing. "You're really quite lucky."

"I don't know about that," said Jake somewhat awkwardly as the wolverine looked at him with a cold look.

"Beat it punk," said the wolverine shooing the coyote away and he didn't need telling twice as the coyote walked away from the wolverine as Randal looked towards the city.

* * *

 **There's the conclusion to The Persona, anyways I'm going to be introducing a new OC in the next chapter, but I'll let the chapter summary speak for itself. Anyways, feel free to comment, fave, or follow as any and all support is welcomed. Feel free to ask me any questions as well or if you have any ideas and want to share them PM me as I'd like to hear what you have to say. In the meantime stay cool and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Livewire**

 _ **A new resident arrives in Elmore, peaking the interests of Gumball and Darwin. However the new resident doesn't seem like they're interested in the Wattersons, rather they are interested in meeting with a certain coyote.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I tried to add several moments of levity and humor in this chapter, despite it's darker tone.**

 **-I made several references in this chapter, see how many you can find, and props to you if you did.**

 **-Since Gumball had a possessed version of himself with Jealously I figured it was time to see Jake be possessed by a spirit as well.**


	23. Chapter 23: The Livewire

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 23: The Livewire

It was a cool spring day, the azure sky glittered with surprising brilliance as Jake Wiley walked down the street. The coyote's fur ruffled slightly in the light breeze as he made his way down the street. The light passed through the shady treetops covered with melting snow onto the ground, leaving the dull cement a dazzling white. The coyote was surprised by the spectacular view of what was around him.

The still silence was broken however by a sudden whoosh as something past in a blur of red white and a hint of blue as the mysterious object collapse with a sudden jerk bouncing off the pavement. It took Jake a few seconds to realize that the object was a person.

 _'What, he can't be here?'_ thought Jake shaking his head almost as much as the boy who had crashed as he brushed off the old-fashioned pilot's helmet before moving onto cleaning the rest of his clothes.

Whatever could be said about the young boy was nothing exactly praiseworthy. He had the oddest assortment of clothing. His helmet, for instance, was perched precariously on his head and was leaning heavily on its left side. His shirt was about one or two sizes too large for him, thankfully it didn't look ridiculously baggy on him and was emblazed with a red number one and shoulder patches. His pants, on the other hand, were white, lined with bright blue stripes on them.

The boy was a bit taller than Jake, but was thinner than him, appearing that he was much lankier compared to Jake's rather fit frame. He had a red plume of feathers sticking out of his helmet, and patterns of red and white fur and feathers.

"Gravity hurts," said the familiar figure dusting himself off as he stood up again and gave Jake a fond look which might have been a smile if it wasn't for the plate-like shield over his mouth.

"Well I'll be darned, the griffin himself?" said Jake warmly greeting with a smile, though he couldn't hide his shock. "I thought you were still in Winslow."

"Yeah, but the more I thought about it, I figured I should tag only with you dusty," said Grif grabbing him and playfully shaking him by the shoulder. "Besides, I couldn't let you have all the fun."

"Well I'm surprised to see you, how's your mom and dad?" said Jake with worry as the red and white griffin smiled.

"Couldn't be better, they said they'd be worried you weren't going to make any new friends."

"I managed to make a few new friends, would you like to meet them?" asked Jake politely as the griffin snorted.

"I think it's best that we catch up on the time we've spent apart, tell me everything," said the griffin eager to hear what the coyote had to say.

So Jake recounted almost everything, the new people he had met, the town itself, and the crazy adventures he had all the while in the absence of his old friend. The griffin nodded approvingly and the signs of a grin on his face all the while. Finally, after he had recounted all his tales the griffin broke the silence.

"I'll be starting at Elmore Junior High on Monday, I'm sure it'll be quite a day of laughs."

"I'm sure it will it will be old friend," said Jake fist bumping with griffin.

The two friends conversation was broken by two familiar voices of a certain blue cat and goldfish.

"Hey Jake, who's the sparrow you're conversing with?" said Gumball rushing over and stopping to catch his breath.

"Sparrow?" growled the griffin, who's eyes narrowed into a steely stare. Jake quickly noticed that he had taken this as an insult, who urged Gumball to back off slightly.

"This is Griffin Sullivan," explained Jake, hastening to add. "He's part eagle and lion, that makes him a griffin in that case."

"Just call me Grif," said the boy, running his paws through the sleek crest of feathers on his head giving them a windswept appearance.

"We haven't had a new kid in Elmore since Jake. What's your story Grif, where'd you come from, what'd think of the town!" said Gumball in enthusiasm as Grif stared at him blankly.

"So these are the locals? Are they all like this?" said Grif dryly turning to the coyote causing Jake to supply a sheepish grin.

"Fortunately not, there are some pretty good people around," said Jake as Grif looked at the blue cat with a hint of disdain.

"Hopefully they're not as annoying as jumpy over here," said Grif snorting slightly as he adjusted the goggles on top of his head.

"Hey," said Gumball offended.

"Give them a chance will ya Grif?" said Jake taking sides with the blue cat.

"Right," said Grif, not bothering to acknowledge Gumball.

"So, I suppose we ought to do something fun, what have you got in mind Grif?" said the dusty brown coyote, as the griffin gave a mischievous grin.

* * *

"This is the last thing I would come to think of when it comes to fun," said Jake as he dodged a car narrowly missing him by inches.

"C'mon this is a breeze!" said Grif, enjoying tempting fate as he leaped out in front of Mr. Robinson's car before taking off in a mad spiral into the air.

"Is this his idea of a joke?" said Gumball panting as the griffin landed safely on the other side of the street. A car whizzed past the blue cat causing him to lurch backward. "Okay, I'm not doing this."

The feline retreated quickly at this as the griffin landed on the lamppost above them, walking along the neck of it and letting out a low whistle as he stretched out along the top of it and watching them with his eagle-like eyes.

"Are you seriously giving up so soon?" asked Grif smarmily as he repositioned himself to get a better look at the others.

"I'm sorry, but we're not good at dodging traffic, and I don't feel like getting hit," said Gumball annoyed as he looked at the griffin lounging about on the top of the street lamp.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, I tend to put my friends in mortal danger two or three times a day, aren't you just thrilled?" asked Grif sarcastically stretching and gliding down from his perch and made a rolling landing before dusting off his clothes.

"Hardly," said Gumball shaking his head. "I don't think I've been friends with someone as weird as you."

"What an astute observation!" mocked Grif clapping his paws together dryly as Gumball frowned.

"We're not going to get along are we?" said Gumball wearily.

"You sound so disappointed," replied Grif, before Jake tugged on his goggles yanking them back before letting them snap back into the griffin's face leaving a red trace marks on Grif's face.

"Oh, that smarts!" replied the red and white griffin rubbing the red blotch on his face.

"Both of you are going to have to get along. First of all Grif, what were you thinking, that was crazy even by your standards," said Jake frowning as the griffin scratched his helmet sheepishly.

"Uh oh, Jake is about to channel is inner mom," said Grif, looking sideways to Darwin and Gumball. "Brace yourselves for his whole 'mother knows best' speech."

"Keep acting like that and I will call Mrs. Sullivan," said Jake pulling his phone out of his pocket and Grif gasped as if this was suddenly a serious matter.

"You wouldn't dare!" said Grif in an incredulous voice.

"Oh yeah? Try me," said Jake gritting his teeth, drawing his paw closer to the buttons.

"Okay, okay," admitted Grif quickly. "I just want to see lard sac and tuna fish over here get some exercise is all, besides, it's the perfect stamina training for them."

"Lard sac? tuna fish? Who does this guy think he is?" asked Gumball turning to who his brother who was just as equally annoyed with Grif's designated nicknames for them.

"And you promise to not stir up any trouble for today?" said Jake.

"Yes, of course, put it there, pal," said Grif shaking the coyote's paw. "I actually meant your wallet."

"Funny," said Jake letting out a short chuckle. "But you know I pay for stuff with my account, right?"

"Account?"

"On account, I don't have any money, you have to pay for it," said Jake, jokingly and the dusty brown coyote and the red and white griffin burst into laughter at the cheesy joke.

"Looks like these two are hitting it off well," said Gumball waiting for the newcomers of Elmore to turn their attention to him and Darwin, but it was clear that that moment wasn't coming soon as both Jake and Grif were deeply entrenched in a new conversation. "Right, catch you later Jake."

The Watterson brothers trudged off through the melting piles of snow, they couldn't help but feel like that Jake was more interested in talking to Grif than them as they had been apart for months. That was understandable, but it would have been nice for Jake to include them in the conversation. The blue cat and walking goldfish didn't say another word to each other, they could only wonder what trouble was in store for Grif's first day at Elmore Junior High.

* * *

The next morning the skies were clear and the air was cool but crisp with the allure of spring heavy in the air as Jake stepped outside. The small pools of water splashed underneath his feet splattering over the hem of his jeans, the chilled him slightly but were little more than an annoyance as he clipped his backpack together. The little buds of leaves on the trees were a sure sign that spring was going to be arriving soon. The coyote walked over to the bus stop, looking for any trace of the griffin, who had agreed to meet him at this time in the morning.

He felt a paw tap him on the shoulder and he whirled around to stop the griffin in the same attire with a backpack haphazardly slung over his shoulder about to spill its contents.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, I have the tendency to hit the snooze button as you already know," said Grif as he stretched out his back and smoothed his feathers.

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," scoffed Jake. "Reminds me of the time you fell asleep during one of Mr. Boltz's lectures."

"Yeah, and then he proceeded to jolt me with electricity as he thought I had a heart attack, I still have the scars from that," said Grif wincing as the bus came to a stop right and front of them belching out gas.

"You ready buddy?" said the dusty brown coyote allowing the red and white griffin to take the lead as he patted him on the small of the back.

"Oh yeah," said Grif moving as fast as he can speed walking down the aisle, and slipping into a seat as Jake sat down next to him.

"Just like old times?" asked the coyote with a sly smile.

"Better than old times, though the whole gangs not here we at least got each other," said Grif playfully elbowing him in the ribs.

"It's about time we had a chance to hang out," said Jake looking at the passing scene and calmly reflecting. Though the shuddering of the bus over the rickety road made it hard to concentrate at all as the coyote's forehead bounced off the seat cushion in front of him. "You know I wonder what have you been up to before you left?"

"I guess that's fair enough, it all sort of fell apart without you Jake. Denise, Stanley, and I were still pretty close, but Denise was a bit melancholy after you left, Stanley was always nervous so not a lot changed there," said Grif shrugging.

"You and Denise were pretty close, did you try to cheer her up?" said Jake, concerned.

"Oh yeah, but after I decided to you know, head out here is as well she was a little depressed, I'm sure she will be fine, though," added Grif hastily. "She was always resilient, and maybe we could head back to Winslow, I have a feeling our path will lead us back there one day."

"Agreed, it would be nice to see what's changed about it, but I'm sure it isn't much different from when we left," said Jake waiting for the bus to grind to an unsteady halt before rising from his seat and pulling the griffin along with him in a mad dash to get out of the bus.

"Well, why the sudden rush, have you got a date or something?" asked the red and white griffin jokingly and Jake uncomfortably avoided the question causing Grif to give him a funny look as they rushed up the concrete stairs, their feet pattering against the surface. Most of the eyes turned to Grif who seemed to bask in the attention, waving and acting like some sort of movie star on the red carpet as he walked with an air of confidence and charisma.

"How's it going Elmore Junior High? It's wonderful to be here, has anyone got a stick of gum or something?" said the griffin as he smoothed his feathers coolly before walking by.

"Show off," chuckled Jake as soon as Grif caught up to him.

"What's the matter with being a little friendly?" said Grif smirking as Jake caught sight of Kelsey. "Earth to Jake, what's going on up top?"

The dusty brown coyote hesitantly snapped his attention back to Grif who already had a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

"Well, she's a looker isn't she, how about you introduce me to her smooth talker?" said Grif winking. "Come on, I'll help set you up to succeed."

"I'm not sure about this," muttered Jake, as Kelsey walked up to the debating coyote and griffin.

"Hey Jake, who's the new kid?" said the amber fox getting the coyote's attention.

"Uh this is Grif, he's an old friend of mine," said Jake hastily.

"How do you do m'lady? Griffin Sullivan," said Grif in a flattering voice shaking her paw before turning to Jake and whispering in a voice purposely loud enough for both of them to hear. "So this is your crush, Jake you lucky coyote you!"

This caused the amber fox and the dusty brown coyote to blush with embarrassment as he looked from the coyote to the fox, pleased at his handy work. The bell rang, warning students that they should begin heading to their first classes as Jake hung back with Kelsey.

"Well, that's Grif for you, I suppose we ought to get to class," said Jake backing away awkwardly as Kelsey to continued to blush.

"Yeah," replied the amber fox smiling as she backed away accidently bumping into the lockers before and recovering as she gave the coyote a sheepish smile.

The coyote gave her a nervous grin as he proceeded to his class hoping Grif was able to navigate his way around the school without any previous knowledge. Jake passed the glittering trophy case glimpsing the carve symbols into the silver, gold, and bronze metal made out to different teachers and teams. Jake leaped into the classroom with about half a minute left before the start of day bell.

"There you are," Grif, handing Jake a stick of gum and patting him on the shoulder. "One stick of gum courtesy of Masami."

"What did you do to get that?" said Jake pocketing the stick of gum awkwardly as the griffin had trouble getting into the seat as his wings were a bit of a hindrance.

"I used my charm," said Grif grinning.

"You and your honeyed words," said Jake scoffing.

"The trick is just having something valuable to trade," said Grif shrugging. "A little barter never hurt anyone."

"If you say so then," said Jake placing the contents of his backpack upon his desk as he tampered with as he saw Grif fiddling with the contents of his backpack that were far from anything educational, it was mainly comic books, with scattered contents of pencils, paper, designs and a few of gag items.

"You might want to take that off of your desk, Miss Simian won't take kindly to that," said Jake, doing a double take at his stuff.

"I want to see what she does first, though, I bet old baboon will through a temper tantrum," said Grif, turning through the brightly colored and impressive collection of superhero comics he had.

Occasionally gasping at a particular interesting plot-twist or remarking on the superheroes powers or flaws. Jake sat uneasily at his desk hoping his friend wouldn't get into trouble, but sure enough, as soon as she entered the classroom she looked at the spot Grif was sitting, just behind Jake. The griffin seemed to take no notice that the teacher had entered the classroom and Miss Simian elevated her voice so that the whole class could hear her.

"Good morning class, I have no doubt that this school has been lowering its own standards by letting another go for nothing vagrant to our classroom, care to introduce yourself yahoo?" asked Miss Simian, her shrill voice traveling across the classroom as all eyes turned to the griffin, looking at his comic book, who held up his paw in order to show he was finishing up the page before giving a lazy wave to the others, a smile stretched across his face as his eyes locked with Miss Simian.

The look on the baboon's face was crinkled in concentration as if thinking of possible punishment for such a rude and provocative display of happiness. It was clear she could come up with nothing as she turned back to the board and Grif returned to his comics.

Miss Simian remained ever critical of the griffin as he smugly looked up from the board to see what was going in case the elderly baboon decided to spring a question on him quickly and the baboon was hard pressed to catch the griffin off guard. But to the classes greatest surprise the griffin's memory did not fail him as he recited the ideal gas law perfect on the monkey's eighth attempt to get him into trouble.

"Are you going to continue the lesson or are you going to continuously waste everyone else's time? If you really want to tutor me I can stay after school," said Grif, not bothering to show any interest in the lesson as he turned another page of the comic book.

Miss Simian looked utterly horrified that the griffin had no problems with the lesson.

"There must be something you don't understand about gases," said Miss Simian, screwing up her face in concentration to think of something new.

"You're full of hot air, I know that much," said Grif dryly as he leaned his head on the table as he looked at the cover art for one of his comics. There were a few light chuckles from the classroom as Miss Simian glowered at the griffin. The griffin gave no mind to the baboon as he looked through his comic book.

"Detention Mr. Sullivan, for disrupting the lesson," said Miss Simian an ugly leer on her face. "One hour."

"Says the person who was interrupting the lesson, and that's such a light sentence given your reputation. Are you going soft or something?" smiled Grif looking up from his desk with no vested interest in the look of fury now crossing her face.

"Three hours," said Miss Simian. "Unless you want to interrupt the lesson further and end up in the principal's office if you want that, however, I can arrange that. Now keep that infernal mouth, or shield of yours shut!"

"You know I just love it when grumpy teachers get angry," said Grif his smile dimming only to avoid the gaze of Miss Simian.

* * *

The lesson ended all too soon, giving the coyote and griffin the chance to go through their stuff before departing. The griffin was particularly happy for some odd reason, but Jake knew that smile all too well.

"Okay, what did you do this time?" asked Jake as Grif smile faded.

"What?" replied the griffin innocently as he buried his paws in his pants pockets.

"You know what I'm talking about," said Jake, giving a very serious look.

"Well, let's just say Miss Simian is going to have a bit of trouble coordinating lessons without this," said Grif holding up the teacher's binder in which all of her notes and documents that she needed for all her classes.

"Grif, you two-timing snake you," said Jake giving him a small grin as the griffin shrugged helplessly.

"What can I say chief, I can't wait to see the look on her face when she realizes this is missing, I'll put it under her desk, then it'll look like she dropped it, a harmless prank," replied the red and white griffin placing the binder inside his pack as they walked down the hall.

"You sure are a character Grif," said Jake as he floundered around with managing his books as he managed to reach his locker before dumping his stuff at his feet as the griffin fiddled with his stuff.

"So, what are you doing after school today," said Grif casually as the dusty coyote stopped dropping his stuff upon his feet clumsily.

"You have detention Grif, you're likely not going to talk Miss Simian out of that!"

"Yeah, I'm going to detention, but who said I'm going to stay there?" responded the griffin slyly as the coyote gave a fake laugh.

"You think you're going to break out of detention are you crazy?" said Jake sourly as he saw the wild look in his old friend's eyes. "I should have expected an answer like this."

"I think you should be focused on more tentative matters," sighed Grif as Jake gave him an apprehensive look. "On your right."

As he turned his eyes met Kelsey crystal blue eyes staring at him. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder and she had her own hockey stick in hand. There were various doodles and stickers plastered on it. Jake couldn't help but smile at the amber fox who looked cute as she gave a kind smile to both him and Grif.

"I better mosey on out of here, good luck pal!"

Both Jake and Kelsey walked up to each other. The coyote felt butterflies in his stomach as his whole body egged him on as he cleared his mind of all worries and concerns to a wonderful bliss. He was wonderfully carefree.

"Hey, how's it going Kelsey?"

"Everything is going well, you know," said Kelsey brushing the hair out of her eyes timidly as the coyote grabbed ahold of her paw and squeezed it tightly. The coyote gave her a reassuring smile as she leaned in closer to him. Both of them leaned in the coyote and fox were about to share their first kiss, however the bubblegum that the coyote was chewing on blew into a bubble as the two kids lips were about to meet, popping the bubble and showering both of them with the sticky pink substance and leaving both of their faces covered in goo.

"Jake!" exclaimed Kelsey disgruntled at the fact the romantic moment was ruin. However, this changed to giggling as Jake wiped the goo off of his utterly shocked face. "You look good Jake."

"Thanks," said Jake dryly as he cleaned his face with the back of his sleeve.

"It seems like that was quite a sticky situation, uh, no pun intended," said Kelsey apologetically as she wrapped her arms around Jake leaving his in a tight embrace which he returned.

The two shared a tender moment together for a moment as the amber fox placed her head on his shoulder and the coyote responded leaning in closer to her. Jake broke away giving her a warm smile.

"I just need to collect a few things is all, I'll see you at lunch Kelsey!"

Lurking by the water fountain was the frame of Randal, rubbing his scars as they burned painfully for wolverine. He was accustom to the pain cropping up ever once in a while. He ran his paw down the scars to see they were cracked and bleeding slightly.

"Aggh!" yelled the charcoal gray in agony, gritting his teeth he saw the faces of Kelsey and Jake looking on frightened as the wolverine turned towards them still trying to clean up his scars. "What is it?"

"Sure you don't want to go to the nurse, those scars look quite painful," said Kelsey trying to reach out the wolverine. Randal caught her arm tight in his grip and yanked her over to an inch in front of his face.

"Do these look like simple cuts?" snarled Randal letting the amber fox get a good look at his scars.

"Randal, calm down," said Jake intervening and pulling Kelsey away.

"We're worried that you're under a lot of pain is all," said Kelsey, bashfully as the wolverine wiped the blood off his face.

"I don't need some pathetic coyote and nursemaid fox adding to my troubles," snarled Randal causing both of them to stop in their tracks. And without another word the wolverine turned away.

"Do you Randal will ever let go of all this pent-up anger inside?" said Kelsey cautiously.

"It's hard to say, whatever happened in his youth changed him, what exactly I can't say," lied Jake as he looked at the wolverine.

 _'You care about her too much, that's your flaw Wiley, and it's one you'll end up regretting,'_ thought Randal as he glanced back at the two kids. The rage he held at the foolish coyote seemed to alleviate the pain slightly. He was going to make him pay.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed The Livewire, you'll be seeing a lot more of Grif Sullivan, he's a bit of smooth rogue and all. Unfortunately, I didn't really get the chance to focus on Gumball or Darwin in this chapter but you'll be seeing more of them. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter if you did, maybe consider favoriting, following, or writing a review. If you want to talk about The Outsider or have questions feel free to PM me about it. In the meantime stay cool and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 **Next chapter- The Studio**

 _ **Gumball and Darwin's favorite band are going to release a new album and thus they decide to break into the recording studio in order to listen to it early, with the help of Carrie.**_

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-For the voice of Grif, I would imagine Crispin Freeman voicing him as he does a good job in character and I enjoyed his role as Firefly in the Batman Arkham Series and Breakdown in Transformers: War for Cybertron. I think he would do bring Grif's witty personality to life.**

 **-Jake and Grif go way back to Jake's days in Winslow and thus they shared many adventures together and will often reference this.**

 **-I made a Skyrim reference, see if you can pick it out.**


	24. Chapter 24: The Studio

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 24: The Studio

It was another day in Elmore. Winter was receding fast as the days were becoming brighter and the pale sun helped the snow melt, leaving small shimmering pools of water helter-skelter across the sidewalk. As for what the Wattersons, they were doing what they would typically do on days like these.

"Wahoo," say Gumball triumphantly as he button mashed his way through the level, forcing his opponent backward as he used his wooden mallet to pound them to the ground. "I win again!"

"Ah no fair, I thought we agreed we wouldn't use the mallet!" said Darwin annoyed as he dropped his controller and glared at his brother.

"Hmm, it must have slipped my mind," said Gumball chuckling as he set his controller down on the table. "Do you want the humiliation of a rematch?"

"Sure, that'll be fun," grumbled Darwin as he picked up his controller for another round.

"Boys, don't you think that's enough time on the video games?" said Nicole, causing both of the boys to leap off the couch in terror.

"When did you get here mom?" said Gumball noticing their mother was standing behind the couch, a weary look in her eyes.

"I just got back from the night shift," admitted Nicole, yawning as she deposited her stuff at the kitchen table, fixing her work uniform as Gumball and Darwin exchanged nervously looks.

"Mom, it's three p.m. Why don't you rest, okay?" said Gumball earnestly as he noticed his mother was already fast asleep with her head down on the table. "That worked out conveniently. Come on, let's go for a walk around the neighborhood."

"Don't we have a match to settle?" said Darwin peering back at the television as Gumball powered off the game system.

"Nah, we can play when we get back, besides, I don't want to get my winning streak broken," said Gumball casually as he walked outside, pulling on his hoodie before Darwin followed him outside.

* * *

The afternoon gray clouds hovered low overhead and the two brothers noticed the gloomy change from their warm household as they strode onto their porch and looked at the cloud cover. The air still had a bitter chill to it, and Gumball instinctively rubbed his arms to ward off the cold as he zipped up his red hoodie for good measure and his adopted brother yanked down his hat for good measure. With a sudden and powerful crack, they saw a certain ghost girl teleport into their midst.

"There you are, I thought you would be hanging at the park at this time of year. This would be the last good opportunity for skating before the ice starts to melt."

"You don't even have feet though Carrie," said Gumball in a poor choice of words causing the emo ghost girl to cross her arms.

"Really?" she asked disgruntled. "But skating is not the reason I showed up, have you heard the exciting news, The Highflyers are releasing a new album soon!"

"What the what?! Why didn't we hear about that?" asked Gumball incredulously as he fumbled with the doorknob. "I've got to check Elmore Plus about this."

"Please, allow me," said Carrie with a grin as she seized the two brothers before teleporting to their bedroom leaving nothing but a bright flash.

"You know, we need some early warning system for when you're going to do that," muttered Darwin as he sprinted over to the computer before checking around for Gumball.

"A little help here."

Both Carrie and Darwin were amused to see the blue cat lodged in the wall, arms still outstretched as if he was expecting to be typing away at the keyboard. The ghost girl broke out into laughter at this at Gumball's predicament as he strained to move his body out of the tight spot it was in. Darwin eventually sighed giving Carrie a suspicious look.

"Did you intentionally do that?" asked Darwin walking over and trying to wrench his brother out of the wall with little success only causing the blue cat to rock slightly forward at the tug the goldfish mustered.

"Maybe," giggled Carrie as she floated over before grabbing the blue cat's paw. Gumball shuddered at the cold feeling as if his paw was forced into a bucket of ice water and his teeth started chattering instinctively.

"Oh, grow a backbone," scoffed Carrie as she teleported again freeing the imprisoned blue cat from the wall.

Gumball shakily tested his limbs and stretched them for good measure before climbing atop his chair and rattling away his keyboard for any sign of the new album. Both Carrie and Darwin looked over his shoulder for any relevant results and earnestly pointed at any sign that could be news on the new album. After sorting through several pages of results on Elmore Plus they eventually found the important article on the Highflyers new album. All three of them hastened to read and reread it in the short time that it took. Gumball let out a low whistle, before turning to the others.

"That sure is some good news, but it says here that it's still a month before the new album is released," interjected Darwin as Gumball highlighted portions of the article in the hopes of picking out information that they had not previously noticed.

"There may be a solution to that," said Gumball slowly as he gave a confident grin.

"What did you find?" asked Carrie leaning closer in as Gumball rolled his chair closer into the desk.

"I'm glad you asked, apparently the album is being produced at Pinewood Studios, and it is going through the finishing touches. If we can sneak in there we can listen to their new album free of charge."

"Even if we could get in it's not like the studio won't have night watchmen," said Carrie shaking her head as Gumball scratched his chin.

"That's where you come in Carrie," responded Gumball. "We need you ghost abilities to help us find a way in."

"What? No way, there is no way I'm going to put myself in trouble just to get a glimpse at the new album."

"Well, maybe we could get help from a reliable source," said Gumball looking at both his Darwin and Carrie's shocked expressions.

* * *

"Fifty dollars," said Sev Rooks picking through the various items in his backpack and retrieving them.

"What? Your rates aren't that high!" stated Gumball baffled as the Arctic fox adjusted his shades looking uncomfortably at Darwin and Carrie.

"There's the whole concept of supply and demand going on, I've got to be able to sell my goods for a profit and there are only four kits left."

"So this is what we're doing, turning to a black market dealer?" asked Carrie as Sev gave an affronted look.

"I am a man of acquired tastes just trying to keep a competitive edge against other companies," said Sev hoping to sound more credible.

"Look, we're in a rush, what will get us access to your best heist gear?" Said Gumball hastily and Sev looked at him slyly.

"Well, in that case, one-hundred dollars," said Sev smugly being answered with cries of outrage from all three of them as the high schooler waited for them to stop before continuing. "It's top quality gear we're talking about."

"Yes, but this is highway robbery, you can't expect us to pay one-hundred dollars for this!" said Gumball outraged. "Twenty-five!"

"One-hundred."

"Fifty!"

"One-hundred."

"Seventy-five!

"One-twenty-five."

"Deal!" said an eager Gumball causing both the ghost girl and goldfish to facepalm.

"That was the worst negotiating I have ever seen," muttered Carrie as Gumball handed over the cash to the Arctic fox who gave a confident grip before pocketing the wad of cash and slicked back his hair. "I suggest you head to the studio sometime around eight o'clock. That's when the workers switch out and the night shift begins."

"Thanks for the tip Sev, but aren't you coming with us?" asked Darwin as cotton white fox busied himself with fixing his jacket.

"Break into a place like that? I'm not doing that, besides, I'm sure your hands will be tied up enough dealing with getting in."

"We could just possess him and force him to help out, Carrie, mind doing the honors?" interrupted Gumball.

"Not this time, better luck next time kiddos!" said Sev and with a sudden unnatural speed, the white fox disappeared leaving the three companions stupefied.

"We should probably suit up for this," said Gumball looking at the stack of clothing and gear he had piled in his arms. "Come on."

The boys and their ghost friend geared up. Gumball sifted through his gear, checking and double checking rope, his new fingerless gloves and fiddled with his black t-shirt. Darwin's regular shoes were replaced with a pair of sturdy boots as Carrie was dressed in a simple black turtleneck as she pulled uncomfortably at the collar, which was surprisingly tight as Gumball handed the rope and grapple over to Darwin who wrapped it around his shoulder as he tightened his boots as a precaution.

"How did you even get that shirt on in the first place?" asked Gumball burying his hands in his pockets as he found a small earpiece before placing it where it belonged.

"Well, I just sort turned it ghostly and then put it on," explained Carrie as she fixed her collar repeatedly. "Uh, Sev should really have better clothing tastes, this thing is so itchy."

"Let's just review the plan one more time before we head out," said Gumball quickly checking his watch. "We don't have much time before the shifts change."

"Alright," said Darwin and Carrie in unison huddling around Gumball who conveniently had a map of Elmore.

"If we manage to take this short cut through here we'll arrive just in time before the workers are done changing positions. This should go pretty smoothly unless if we find any trouble."

"Considering our luck at going undetected we should be off to a strong start," replied Darwin sarcastically as Gumball continued through the steps as if he hadn't heard it.

"We'll have one heck of a story to tell after we hear the Highflyers new album," mused Gumball as he started to walk towards Pinewood Studios the other two following behind the blue cat.

"You sure you know where you're going Gumball?" inquired Carrie as she handed him a heavy set of binoculars.

"Trust me, I know my way around this place like the back of my hand," said Gumball looking at the doors to Pinewood Studios as they halted at the doorstep. "Darwin, have you got that grapple?"

"Right here bro," said Darwin retrieving the rope and grapple swinging in around and tossing it only causing it to move a few feet before landing back where it started. "Sorry, it's a bit heavier than it looks."

"Let me," said Carrie, grabbing the barbed hook from them and teleporting to the roof lodging it in tight for them before waving over to the two Watterson brothers to follow her up and the hastened to reach the roof.

"Okay, you two good?" asked Carrie as a panting Gumball reached the roof before collapsing on his back and refusing to budge when his younger brother prodded him. "Wonderful."

"Just give me a moment."

"You're the one who probably looking forward to hearing the new album the most, so what's taking so long?" asked Carrie impatiently.

"It's nothing, just a bit of fatigue is all," said Gumball clutching the stitches in his side.

"Considering you never work out these results aren't that surprising," commented Darwin before the blue cat gave a resentful look. "Just saying."

"Alright, now comes the real stealth work," said Gumball, lowering himself onto the glass window before tripping and landing face first onto the glass window leaving a large splat-like smudge on the window as he slid down it.

"Very smooth," said Carrie dryly as Gumball made no comment and redoubled his efforts to get the window open as he tried to pick the lock before a faint click resounded and the crew knew they were set as the hopped down from the window into the recording studio.

It was like the band had never really left, instruments were still scattered around the room, and microphones were still hovering above certain instruments. Gumball couldn't resist the temptation and he began tapping away at the drums, producing a small amount of sound before Carrie gave him a serious look and he quickly backed away from the drum set.

"This is the right place, but where exactly will we find the demo tracks?" asked Darwin as he looked at the mixing console for any clues.

"Just give me a moment," but all of them froze as they heard muffled footsteps coming down the hallway and they hastened to get out of sight.

A think beam of light crossed the window and they noticed the sleep deprived form of Larry walking by the window muttering to himself.

"Why is it that I have to work a job in every place in Elmore, besides who would even want to work in this spooky place at this time at night?"

Both Gumball and Darwin gave Carrie looks.

"What?" asked Carrie.

"Well, could you scare Larry away so our work on finding the tracks might go interrupted?" replied Gumball crossing his fingers that Larry wouldn't notice them as he was standing mere feet away from where they were and he was sure to notice them if he thought to check the corner of the room they were currently in.

"Fine, but let's just hope he won't go running to the other night guards, and stay put!" demanded Carrie as she focused as disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

"Woah, that's new, looks like Carrie has been developing a new set of powers lately," said Gumball impressed by the ghost's new abilities. "And speaking of which, is there still chemistry between you two?"

"Gumball..." said Darwin grimacing, and turning away so he could hide the fact that he was blushing.

"What, I'm just curious is all," said Gumball defensively.

* * *

For Larry, his pounding headache and coffee mug were all that were keeping him awake as he monitored the halls of Pinewood Studios. All had been quiet so far during the night shift. He had even shown up ten minutes early to get ready for the night shift. The boss had made his instructions clear that no one was to enter the building unless it was himself or one of the band members just in case they forgot to pick up something of theirs. The pay for this kind of job wasn't anything special, but it helped pay the bills and all. Just then a small sound alerted Larry's ears and he turned his flashlight to the source of the sound only to discover nothing was there.

 _'It must just be my mind playing tricks on me again is all, after all, I did work a long shift at Fervidus Pizza,'_ mused Larry as he chuckled nervously to himself.

It all happened very suddenly, there was a whoosh like a strong wind was passing through the studio and Larry adjusted his multicolored baseball cap as he mustered his courage.

"Who's there?" asked Larry nervously as the mysterious wind died down and his flashlight flickered unsteadily and die. They as if the metal was white hot and it seared his hand forcing him to drop it and it clattered to the floor as his felt his slightly burned that was throbbing painfully as he pulled it to his side. "What's going on here?"

"Leave the studio, run away or I shall curse you!" said a spooky voice eminently for from the ceiling above him. He glanced up daring not to actually look at the ghost that was no doubt above his head.

"What? I can't leave here, I've got a job to do, otherwise, I won't get paid for my shift, they have security cameras all over the place to look out for intruders and to make sure I'm not exploiting company time."

"Perhaps we can reach a compromise, you can go back to your office and watch the security feeds from their for the rest of the night if you tell me how to hear the new music being prepared here," said the ghost in the same airy voice as Larry's suspicions arose.

"Wait, if you're here to haunt this place then what could you possibly want with the Highflyers music?" inquired Larry causing the voice to loose it's airy quality as the voice nervously gave no clear answer. Before there was a loud crack and bright sparks followed.

"Okay, someone or something is definitely in this studio," said Larry finding his courage and scanning the dark for any sign of the ghost and whoever was with her.

"So did it work out?" asked Gumball as soon as the ghost reappeared in their presence.

"It's a little more complicated than that," grimaced Carrie as she fiddled her hands.

"Why what's happened?" inquired Gumball jumping up from his hiding spot.

"Uh... well, Larry kind of knows that we're here and I could scare him away."

"What? How come it didn't work?" asked Darwin as Carrie shrugged.

"I guess I just couldn't scare him right," replied Carrie. "Enough with the small talk, though, we've got to get out of here before Larry finds where we're at."

"Understood, let's get out of here," said Gumball picking up his stuff before moving to the door. "Carrie, do you think you can teleport us out of this room before Larry arrives?"

"Are you kidding me, Larry will be on top of us before that's even possible, are best hope is to wait here and hope we won't be found," responded Darwin anxiously.

"What are you afraid of holding Carrie's hand or something?" inquired Gumball impatiently.

"It's nothing like that! I just don't feel like being teleported helter-skelter again," said Darwin defensively.

"But if we don't get out of here Larry will discover us! Besides, Carrie knows what she's doing."

"Just trust me, alright Darwin?"

Darwin took a deep breath before reaching for Carrie's outstretched hand, but before he could do so, the form of a rather familiar humanoid figure stood over them.

"The Watterson brothers, of course, why can't I just have a simple day for once?" groaned Larry as he looked at them with loathing.

"Oh, hello Larry, we could use your help," said Gumball pleasantly as if the fact their sketchy appearances were of no consequence as the humanoid snatched the drumsticks from Gumball's hands.

"Shouldn't you have other things to do besides hanging out at a place like this at this hour?"

"Nope, we've got nothing better to do than this," said Gumball giving a grin that caused Larry's face to twitch slightly.

"Why is that it that every time I'm working one of my jobs, you two somehow show up?" said Larry annoyed. "Get out of here already."

"Not until we see that album."

"Really, because if I remember correctly you have no jurisdiction here," said Larry, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket and starting to dial a number.

"Larry please, we were just curious and all, I'll bet you know a lot about the new album the Highflyers are producing," said Carrie tactfully as the gray humanoid pondered for a moment.

"I did get to hear a few of their tracks when they were working," said Larry cautiously as the three listened eagerly, waiting for Larry to go into further detail.

"So, what's like?" egged on Gumball quickly hoping for any information.

"Well, it was decent, Mr. Chase sure has a knack for songwriting and mixing sounds I'll give him that," said Larry as Gumball could hold back his excitement.

"The Adam Chase, leader of the Highflyers?" said Gumball thrilled as Larry looked at him, alarmed. "Did you meet him, could you introduce him to me?"

"You forget, you're not even supposed to be here in the first place," said Larry crossing his arms.

"That's true enough, but could you at least let us see the Highflyers working on their album tomorrow? Please?" said Gumball trying to use every amount of pleading to his advantage.

"That would be tricky, and they aren't exactly welcoming to total strangers, tell you what, if you remain out of sight and guarantee you won't cause any trouble I'll find a place to hide you three."

"Thanks, Larry!" cried Gumball overjoyed as he hugged the humanoid's knobby knees causing him to almost fall over from the force, and Larry patted the blue cat's fur uncertainly as he continued to hug him.

"Uh, you know you can let go now," said Larry somewhat awkwardly as the blue cat finally released him.

"Whoops, and thanks for the offer and all," said Gumball quickly.

"Yeah, just do me a favor and keep your promise, they should be here fairly early in the morning, in the meantime try to catch some shuteye, and no don't even think about drinking any coffee, I'll be keeping a close eye on you three."

* * *

The office wasn't exactly luxurious but it was quite comfortable as Larry leaned back in his revolving chair and sipped on his coffee. Though his eyes were extraordinarily droopy, he was somehow still awake. Carrie and Darwin had fallen asleep together. Carrie's head was leaning heavily on the goldfish's shoulder who didn't seem to mind. As for Gumball he had a cup of hot chocolate on his lap, his head leaned over on the table and trying to battle off sleep.

"Having trouble getting shuteye?" asked Larry to the barely conscious blue cat who yawned dismissively as if it was no big deal. "Suit it yourself."

"It's just been an incredibly long night is all," replied Gumball as he took a large swig of his hot chocolate.

"I can imagine, sneaking in here must have been a lot of work, out of curiosity how did you even get the equipment to break into here?"

"A good question for another time," answered Gumball battling sleep as Larry fixed his collar.

"Well at least things are going to work out for you, the Highflyers will be arriving any minute if you want to see them perform, but remember what I told you: out of sight, out of mind."

"You can count on me," said the blue cat eagerly rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he roused the ghost and goldfish.

"Huh, what happened?" asked Darwin raising his head up from its slouched position and noticed Carrie's head was leaning on him causing him to blush slightly as the emo ghost girl brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"How long were we out?"

"Not that long, but if you want to have the chance to see the Highflyers the opportunity is about to present itself," replied Larry as he got up from his seat and ushered the kids to hid underneath the table as the door flung open.

As if on cue the lanky form of Adam Chase and the other Highflyers entered the recording studio. Adam was easy to distinguish as the mink with his frizzy and unkempt hair to make him stand out wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans. On his left stood Huey the drummer with his laid back look, and Vicky their guitarist, her hair sleek and stylish. She also had pretty hazel eyes with quite a bit of eyeliner and makeup to make her stand out from her two male colleagues.

"What's happening, Larry? How's your girlfriend?" asked Adam, giving a warm smile as he intentionally messed up his hair once again.

"Quite well, I see the gang is all here recording."

"Yep, we just got to make a few more tweaks to the different sounds, Huey over here wants to make sure his drum solos come in loud and clear and that we minimize any potential white noise in the songs."

"Well we have to make sure we don't bore our listeners to death," said Huey, burying his paws deep within his pockets as Vicky looked in between Huey and Adam with polite interest as the decided what sounds would work best before getting to work.

Vicki simple leaned in a corner with her arms crossed and occasionally fiddling with her hair as both Huey or Adam discussed. Though the Wattersons and Carrie only heard blips and pieces of the actual tracks, it was quite well put together and before long Gumball found himself humming along to the catchy tunes as he remained hidden with his friends.

"So, Adam when do you think we'll be able to release the new album," asked Vicki in her sweet voice as Adam turned back to editing the music.

"Don't rush me, sweetheart, I tend to perform very poorly when I'm under pressure."

"I just wanted to get a time frame is all," said Vicky honestly.

"I don't have a good view, what's going on?" questioned Carrie as she tried to squeeze her way in between the two boys.

"Don't worry, you'll get you turn to see what's happening," said Gumball hoping to appease her as she continued to struggle toward the front in between them.

"Don't you remember that it was I that gave you the tip that they had a new album in the works. Without me, you wouldn't even be here."

"Calm down Carrie," said Darwin in a hushed voice, but before they knew it they found themselves tumbling forward out from under the table to be in front of the very band they were so eager to hear play.

"So, looks like we've got a bunch of stowaways, not surprising considering how popular we are," responded Huey dryly as Adam look from each one of the subjects to the next.

"You must have been desperate if you tried to sneak in here just to hear us play."

"Well, we are fairly big fans of the Highflyers," said Gumball speaking for the group, which was greeted with warm smiles from both Adam and Vicky and a rather cool but approving look from Huey as each band member helped one of the kids back to their feet.

"Chase, we need to talk about the record deal..." said an oddly oily voice as a humanoid in a slick suit appeared. His jet black hair was combed back and his eyes seemed to narrow at the mere sight of the kids. "What are they doing here?"

"That's a good question, I honestly have no idea," said Adam, shielding the three kids behind him as the oily businessman approached.

"What purpose do these children have in this studio, you know the rules, no visitors are allowed in at this time in the morning."

"It was my fault sir," said Larry standing up straight and standing in front of Adam. "The children insisted that they wanted to meet the members of the band and I saw no harm in that."

"Well, in that case, I don't see the harm in letting you go. Pack your bags and get out of here," replied the oily businessman as he fixed the creases on his suit.

"I... yes sir," replied Larry as he shouldered his bag and was followed out by the three kids and several security guards before they passed through the revolving doors.

"I'm sorry we cause you to lose your job Larry," confessed Gumball as the humanoid sat down on the mulch and snow covered ground fixing his shoulder bag.

"It's fine, I actually think it was better as you did get to see the Highflyers in person, how many people can say that huh?" said Larry keeping his voice positive.

"I guess you're right about that, though you should have lost your job because you defended us," said Carrie as Gumball fixed his shoelaces.

"It's fine after all you got to fulfill some of your own dreams and that's what matters, anyways I can't delay as half of the jobs in the city are depending on me, anyways O should catch you later," concluded Larry as he pulled off his security guard badge and tossed it to the ground. "You know where to find me."

* * *

 **I finally managed to finish this chapter up after quite a delay, hopefully, it won't happen again. Still, it was fun writing this chapter especially shifting the focus to other characters like Larry and Carrie as well as a few new random OCs. If you liked this chapter feel free to review, favorite, or follow The Outsider, I tend to try to update the story weekly so if you want to keep an eye out for it feel free.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The License- Part One_**

 **After Richard's license is revoked for his careless and destructive driving habits, Nicole insists on Richard being tutored on driving by none other than Glenn. Hopefully, things won't end too badly...**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I came up with the Highflyers randomly, I might have them appear in future chapters as background characters. It was good to introduce them to the story, though.**

 **-I wanted to show more of Sev's swindlerish nature and some of his dealings.**


	25. Chapter 25: The License- Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 25: The License- Part One

Richard Watterson strode out of his house for the first time in a long while. He felt clumsy as he had to lean heavily on the door frame as he made his way outside, blinking sleep from his eyes despite the fact it was late in the afternoon. The large pink rabbit made his way across the lawn as he made his way to the yellow station wagon parked in the street. He fumbled around with his keys fully unaware that the keys in his possession were not his at all.

"Where on earth are my keys?!" yelled Mr. Robinson aggravated as he fumbled around his pockets.

"Why do we have to have such loud neighbors?" yawned Richard oblivious to the fact he was holding his neighbor's keys as he jammed them into the door lock before forcing the door open and laying down in the seat. It took him a few moments to ramrod the keys into the ignition and when he finally managed to do so, silver sparks started flying from the point where he had manually jammed the keys in.

"Okay, I have to pick up the kids from school after I pick up some groceries at Food n' Stuff," muttered Richard as he fixed his mirror and he looked at the unshaven stubble on his face as he pulled the car down the sidewalk and started driving away with disastrous effects along the way. The large pink rabbit felt fairly woozy as he swung from one lane to the other with no clear path.

Again the driving of the older pink rabbit was enough to catch the attention of the cops as usual. "Sir, we need you to pull over!" said Donut Sheriff as Richard dodged another potentially dangerous collision in his car as he was fast asleep at the wheel guiding the turns of his car with his gaping jaw. Then...

Bam!

Richard's car had made direct contact with a street lamp crashing into it hard, and the pink rabbit felt himself thrown backward by the force of the crash. As soon as he tried to move about the airbag deployed and smacked him in the face leaving him even more dazed and confused.

"Watterson? How did I know?" muttered the Donut Sheriff as he rubbed his forehead earnestly as he made his way over to the driver's side window. The larger pink rabbit was still fumbling around with the deployed airbag as he tried to cram it back down.

"Oh, hi officer!" said Richard timidly as he waited for the cop to approach him.

"Your driving skills are atrocious," said the anthropomorphic donut as he crossed his arms in anger. "You could have caused serious damage, or you could have hurt someone!"

"Sorry about that officer, I must have dozed off behind the wheel," admitted Richard as he fiddled his fingers nervously.

"Fortunately I can let you off with a warning this time, but any more accidents will cause your license to be revoked for the time being," explained the Donut Sheriff as he finished filling out the form he was about to hand the pink rabbit.

At that moment, the fizzing and sputtering of the engine became more intense and pronounced as sparks flickered out from it and the engine block exploded from the car sending the large engine block to land on top of the Donut Sheriff's cruiser leaving a massive dent in the hood of his car. The cop didn't even say a word, instead, he extended out a hand and Richard handed over his license rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 _'How am I going to explain this one?'_ thought the large pink rabbit in a state of panic as he stepped out of the car and waited for the tow truck to arrive.

* * *

"How do you explain this?" asked Nicole aggravated as she looked at the form, which stated the suspension of Richard's license.

"Uh, the steering on the station wagon was a little off," said Richard earnestly as he looked at the bill for the property damages he had caused.

"You need proper driver's ed," commented Nicole as she facepalmed at her husband's statement. "Now I'm going to have to find the time to schedule a driver's test for you for you to earn back your license."

"Oh, it's fine, I'll just walk from where I need to go from now on," said Richard confidently.

"Richard... let's be realistic, you're not going to want to exercise in the first place," said Nicole unconvinced. "And no, pie eating is not a sport."

"Good point I guess," conceded Richard as he sat back down at the table with a sigh. Nicole's expression softened at this and she looked at where the papers were lying before pulling out her cell phone.

"I may know someone who can help," replied Nicole as she entered dialed the phone number she needed.

The day was a typical Tuesday for Glenn in the research and development lab of Digiverse Tech. He was currently working on a metallic prosthetic arm, making sure to fix the fine details of the circuit with a soldering iron as he made sure that the various resistors, diodes, and capacitors were connected and functioning properly. He even used a small magnifying glass to double check his job.

"I must be going nearsighted," said the older coyote dryly as observed several small annoying solder bridges before putting his iron and solder sucker up to the board and cleaning it off his mistakes.

He was just powering up and testing how the arm worked when a sudden blaring sound came from his work bench to notice his phone was ringing.

 _'Strange, no one usually calls me at this time, I wonder what this could mean,'_ thought Glenn to himself as his slid his phone over his workbench to check the caller ID. _'Nicole Watterson? What could she want to talk to me about? Did Jake get in trouble?'_

"Hello?" asked Glenn as he set his phone to speakerphone as he continued to test the biomedical technology he was working on.

"Hello Glenn, it's Nicole. I wanted to talk to you about something. I know that you must be busy at work and all, but this is important," answered Nicole.

Glenn wasn't all too familiar with the Watterson family, he knew that Nicole was the worker of the family and he knew that they had three children, one of their sons being the same age as Jake. However, he didn't know much about Nicole's husband or their two youngest kids. Jake always spoke the most about Gumball, and sometimes Darwin. Glenn had never been in direct contact with the Wattersons so he wondered how they had gotten his number, though the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that it was Brooke who had told Nicole his number.

"Uh, hello Glenn, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," answered Glenn as he went back and tested the fingers of the mechanical hand.

He must have tweaked something incorrectly as the hand lunged out and its metallic and pincer-like grip caught ahold of Glenn's throat as the older coyote struggled to get breathes in and pry the fingers off of him.

"Glenn, what exactly is going on?" asked Nicole as Glenn made several forced gurgles toward the phone as he tried to gather his words and finally he answered in a strained voice.

"Just some slight, uh tweaking," admitted Glenn as the metal fingers seemed to slacken slightly.

"Okay, because I was wondering if you'd be willing to help Richard how to drive responsibility, he's always had a bit of trouble following traffic laws and all, you understand."

"Oh yeah, that's crystal clear, I'm sure he'll be fine," said Glenn choking slightly as his vision swam in out of focus.

"Great, if you could start tomorrow giving him some pointers then it would be much appreciated, see you, Glenn!"

"Wait!" choked Glenn as he was still stuck in the dangerous predicament he had gotten himself into.

Fortunately, Glenn noticed the strip of red wire that was still connecting the battery to the arm itself and the dusty brown coyote snipped the wire causing the arm to lose its grip on him, but not before throwing him into the wall, leaving him dazed and his papers scattered on the floor as he recovered.

"Some day this is," said Glenn, getting up from his slouching position as he went back to work on the mechanical arm before he had to pack up. "Hopefully this test run will be better off than last time."

The arm seemed to operate normally and the biomedical engineer performed some quick stress tests on the mechanical limb as he packed up his gear. Digiverse Tech was a decent job, the pay was good enough to help pay off the loans on the new house. Though he did wish some of the medical benefits were better, but in a place like Elmore, strange occurrences could cause injury which was why he could see medical wasn't a big part of his coverage. The coyote's train of thought was interrupted as he stepped outside seeing the utter devastation to part of the street. One of the fire hydrants was knocked out from where it had been placed and the pressurized water was shooting up into the sky and sprinkling over the surroundings and it speckled Glenn's fur and passersby. Not only that but tire tracks were left all over the street meandering from one side to the other. A few of the street lamps were knocked over and the police were sorting out the mess.

 _'I wonder what all this is about,'_ thought Glenn as he unlocked his car before placing his backpack on the backseat and driving off.

* * *

The next morning was ideal weather, the sun was out and brightly shining down as Glenn proceeded downstairs, yawning slightly as he walking into the kitchen and starting filling the coffee pot with grounds. He was the first one up, he wasn't surprised that Jake wasn't out of bed, he always had trouble getting up in the morning.

As every morning went he saw Brooke walk downstairs, her hair was just done but she was still in a purple bathrobe as she walked into the kitchen yawning.

"M-morning Glenn," said Brooke with difficulty as she tried to stifle her yawning.

"Morning sweetheart, what do you want for breakfast, you must be hungry," said Glenn smiling, giving her a quick hug before moving to the stovetop and pulling out a set of frying pans.

"Well, I am dining for two after all," said Brooke, patting her stomach indicating the soon to be newest member of the Wiley family.

"Okay, good point," said Glenn chuckling as he pulled uncooked bacon and eggs out of the fridge and went to work.

"How's your job at Digiverse Tech going Glenn?" asked Brooke casually as Glenn cracked the eggs over the edge of his frying pan as they cracked and fizzled as he discarded the useless shells.

"Quite well, I already checked with my manager telling him that I'm not going to be in today, Nicole wants me to help Richard with his driving abilities."

"Oh, you didn't mention that before," said Brooke leaning forward in her chair.

"I just found out today, I should be heading out soon, so you think you can get Jake out of bed if need be?" asked Glenn as he served a delicious portion of bacon and eggs to his wife.

"I'm sure I can do that," said Brooke confidently. "He seems to be taking the initiative more often than not as of late."

"He sure has grown quickly over these past few months, he's more mature than I was at his age," said Glenn pensively as Brooke sipped on her coffee.

"Well that isn't saying much, your didn't really mature until your teens," observed Brooke, giggling slightly as Glenn nodded grinning. "Most of the time you were trying to swoon me with your bad boy charm."

"Yeah, and you helped straighten out my wild side and put me on the right track," said Glenn warmly as he gazed into his wife's eyes.

"Well, it was inevitable that all your flirting with me would eventually pay off," chuckled Brooke as she tightened her bathroom around her. "And our little Jake isn't so little anymore. He's even got a crush on that sweet girl Kelsey Springer."

"We should invite the Springers over some time, it would be good to get to know them and maybe it might encourage Jake to finally start dating her," said Glenn nodding in agreement as he picked up his backpack from the floor. "Keep an eye on Jake for me will you?"

"I will, he's going to be fine," reassured Brooke as cleaning up her plate with a piece of toast.

"Alright, I ought to get going," said Glenn swinging his backpack over his shoulder and headed out the door.

* * *

Glenn eventually found his way to out in front of the Watterson residence as he straightened out his polo shirt and left his car, taking his keys with him as he made his way onto the porch and rung the doorbell. There was no answer and Glenn took several moments to wait before politely ringing the doorbell and he waited... and waited...

Glenn sighed fed up with the fact he had gone out early to arrive at the Watterson household only to find himself stuck waiting for half-an-hour in front of the same door. Glenn raised his foot and with a forceful kick knocked the door off its hinges and sent the wooden door skidding as a half dressed Richard awoke from the couch startled.

"Ah, intruder!" shouted Richard moving with surprising speed as he tackled Glenn and the gelatinous mass rolled over him before pinning him to the ground.

"Mr. Watterson!" said Glenn as the pink rabbit wrestled him to the ground and bent the older coyote's leg at an awkward angle. Glenn grimaced in pain as Richard continued as he pushed Glenn's arm behind his back. "RICHARD!"

Apparently, this broke the pink rabbit out of his current mindset. As he looked curiously down at the coyote who's limbs were in forced into awkward positions.

"How do you know my name?" asked the large pink rabbit, as he accidentally pressed Glenn's face against the floor as he stepped on it with his large foot.

"I'm Glenn Wiley," said Glenn, in a nasally voice from the fact his nose was pressed directly against the floor. "You know, Jake's father!"

This must have clicked with Richard as he eased off Glenn who got up very disgruntled at the fact that he had unceremoniously been shoved to the floor. Though to be fair he had kicked the door off its hinges to find Richard who was still in his underwear and had his dress shirt covered in pizza grease and unbuttoned.

"Sorry about the forced entry, but I was tired of waiting," said Glenn hoping to draw attention to the fact that the large pink rabbit wasn't properly dressed.

"None taken," said Richard smiling broadly at him. "And I'm sorry I tried out some of my wrestling moves on you."

"Uh right, listen, Nicole said you could use some help with your driving skills?" asked Glenn quickly hoping to make up for lost time.

"Yeah, she did mention that," said Richard awkwardly as he tried to move away from the subject. "Anyways I always wanted to be a pro wrestler when I grew up."

Glenn simply crossed his arms as he thought about what to say. "Well, you better get dressed as we got a long day ahead of us."

"No problem," said Richard scooping his pants off the floor. The pink rabbit then proceeded to hobble around disorientation as he tried to cram his large legs into the pants with great difficulty as he tugged with all his might.

It was nearly an hour before Glenn and Richard were walking out the door. It had been extremely difficult, but eventually, the large pink rabbit had succeeded in putting on his pants only after a large effort from the coyote to help him out. As Glenn took the driver's side Richard joined him on the passenger's side with a large bowl of nachos.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Glenn looking at the bowl in awe.

"What do you want some?" inquired Richard attempting to pass the bowl to the dusty brown coyote who quickly rejected it.

"Nah, I'm good. First and foremost, what is this?" asked Glenn tapping a gauge on the dash.

"Uh, the compass?" asked Richard sheepishly as Glenn sighed.

"That's the fuel gauge, right now our tank is basically full," replied Glenn as he tapped another gauge. "And this is the-"

"The measured pressure?" blurted out Richard without thinking.

"The speedometer actually," replied Glenn running his paws through his fur. "Maybe you're just nervous let's trade places and I can show you the features."

With that the coyote and rabbit exchanged spots and the rabbit slumped into the driver's seat still carrying his bowl of nachos as he sat down. Glenn eventually made some progress addressing the parts on the car before handing the keys to Richard.

"I'm going to trust on this one, do you think you can drive forward a few feet?"

"No problem!"

Richard promptly shifted gears ready to drive as he press on the gas, except the car was in reverse. In a split second Glenn's car accelerated backward, its rear bumper slammed into the hood of Mr. Robinson's car. Glenn cringed with discomfort as the grinding sound resonated through the neighborhood.

"Let's check for damages..." said Glenn uncomfortably as he engaged the emergency brake for good measure and walking out to inspect the damages. The rear bumper was crumpled from the force of the impact, while Mr. Robinson's car had faired just as worse with massive damage to the hood and one of its headlights had been knocked out.

 _'Just perfect,'_ thought Glenn bitterly. _'Now, what am I supposed to tell his neighbor? I suppose I should inform him about what happened.'_

With that, Glenn crossed the yard and knocked at the door to the Robinson residence. "I hope they're not home."

Though the door promptly swung open and Glenn saw a rather squat puppet walk out of the door.

"What do you want? Can't you tell I was in the middle of an argument with my wife?" yelled the old man grouchily.

"Sorry to intrude sir, but a student driver of mine-" started Glenn but the old man pushed passed him as he walked up to his ruined car.

"My car!"

Glenn grimaced as the grumpy old man started yelling so that the whole town could hear him. At that moment Richard walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"I think it's best if we leave right now," said Richard as Glenn gave him a serious look.

"But we still need to fill out the accident report forms, get his insurance, and numerous other details," replied Glenn. "What's the hurry?"

"Yeah, I'm sort of driving on a revoked license," answered Richard sheepishly as he twiddled his thumbs.

"You're what?!" said Glenn shocked as he covered his face with his paw.

"I should have warned you about that."

"You most certainly should have."

"Still, why don't we lie low for a while, I know the perfect hiding place," said Richard hurriedly as Mr. Robinson continued to throw his tantrum as he was going on a tangent.

"Yeah, but this time I drive, I don't want to get into any more accidents," said Glenn firmly as taking the keys out of Richard's hand as they rushed to the car and took off in a smokescreen from the wheels.

* * *

"This is the place we're lying low at?" question Glenn reclining back in his seat as Richard eagerly watched the hockey match. The two were sitting in Firefly's Bar and Grill. Richard had a plateful of fries and a massive burger while Glenn had refrained from eating instead just getting a simple soda.

"Yeah, it's nice isn't it?" said Richard spitting remnants of French fries into the coyote's face who quickly wiped them off.

"I supposed, but I thought the whole reason we came here was to get away from a crime scene because you are driving without a license!" said Glenn in a heated whisper as the large pink rabbit grimaced.

"Would right now be a bad moment for me to admit that I don't have insurance as well?" asked Richard tentatively as Glenn growled in anger.

"When your wife finds us you can forget about the cops, we'll both be dead meat," said Glenn shaking his head as the roars of approval from sports fans filled the restaurant.

"Uh, you probably right about that, Nicole is as tough as nails."

"How did you two meet anyway?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," said Richard. "Well, I met her in the strangest of places; trapped on the inside of a log. She was always in a rush and she had a lot going for her. Her parents never really approved of our relationship."

"I'm sorry to hear that," replied Glenn as drained his glass of the last bit of sofa.

"What about you Glenn, what's your story?"

"Well, my father was always devoted to his work, we never spent much time together. It was my mother and my brother I knew best," replied Glenn thinking deeply.

"And?"

"I sort of ran away from home at the age of sixteen, haven't talked to my family since," said Glenn getting that weight off his chest.

Richard looked at him astounded. "We're more alike than we thought. Where did you go after that?"

"I moved in with Brooke's family. I was always welcome in the Olsen household. Fritz and Tracey were like a second set of parents to me. They helped me straighten out my life and set me on the right path that and Brooke always had my attention after all. We started dating not long after that."

"That was interesting to know. But one question remains."

"And what is that?"

"Who's paying the bill?" asked Richard as he picked up the receipt and showed it to the dusty brown coyote.

"Give me a moment," said Glenn reluctantly as he pulled out his wallet depositing a few bills on the table.

"Thanks, Glenn!" said Richard happily. Despite how calm the restaurant's atmosphere was, the situation soon went downhill fast.

"Listen up suckers, hand over your wallets!" said a coarse gravely voice as the familiar print of Sal Left Thumb entered Firefly's a sinister grin on his face and his signature weapon of a spoon in hand. "Are you going to make me repeat myself? Because it seems like am I going to have to use force!"

The craziest thing was that most of the patrons panicked upon seeing the rusty dented spoon as the fingerprint proceeded to the front of the restaurant pushing people out of the way nonchalantly.

"Oh come on, he's not even that threatening," said Glenn in annoyance as he saw Richard cowering on the floor beneath their table.

"It's such an act of violence, how can you not be terrified?"

"I'm going to put and end to this before it begins," said Glenn moving from his table up to where the fingerprint was filling a bag as the terrified cashier stood horrified and not daring to speak a word, her expression nervous, while the fingerprint licked his chops upon looking at the cash.

"Boy oh boy, do I love legal tender," said Sal obsessing over the cash as he turned to see Glenn right in front of him.

"Going somewhere?"

"Out my way wolfie, I've got more important things to deal with than this. I've got to show a bit of entrepreneurial spirit before the holiday season is over," said Sal laughing crinkling the money in his hands. "Besides, the cops are too busy trying to find two idiots to care about what I do."

With a second though Glenn slammed the small frame of the fingerprint against the counter. "You give that money back to its rightful owner."

"I don't see how you can do about it when I can do this!" said Sal as a chilling sensation occurred in Glenn's midsection as the coyote looked down, startled noticing his midriff was covered in solid ice from a freeze gun the fingerprint was holding up. "Not as good as the last model I had, but it'll do. Next time sucker!"

The fingerprint rushed out the door as Glenn struggled to move from the sheet of ice encasing him. _'We need to go after him!'_

* * *

 **Happy Thanksgiving! It feels good to be able to upload a new chapter and now since I have a little down time I might have the chance to get more chapters finished. If you liked this chapter feel free to review, favorite, or follow The Outsider, I tend to try to update the story weekly so if you want to keep an eye out for it feel free. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The License- Part Two_**

 **After Richard's license is revoked for his careless and destructive driving habits, Nicole insists on Richard being tutored on driving by none other than Glenn. Hopefully, things won't end too badly...**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I wanted to show a bit of the interplay and romance that Glenn and Brooke have as well as get a better look at Glenn in general, as well as some things regarding his past and how he and Richard can relate,**

 **-I decided to go for a more lighthearted and upbeat vibe for this chapter and show the relationship between Richard and Glenn and some of the humor that comes from their predicaments and to keep up the running gag in the show that Richard's driving abilities aren't exactly the greatest.**

 **-I also figured it was about time to see Sal Left Thumb in this story as he seemed to fit in this chapter.**

 **-I also decide to reference some other authors and ideas I find interesting in the Amazing World of Gumball.**

 **-As you can probably tell, Fritz and Tracey are Jake's grandfather and grandmother respectively on Brooke's side of the family. You may actually see them later on.**

 **-I managed to come up with new locations like Digiverse Tech and Firefly's Bar and Grill in a creative spur, and yes both of those names are references, maybe you'll know what to. ;)**


	26. Chapter 26: The License- Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 26: The License- Part Two

Glenn struggled against the rigid structure that he felt his body held in place in. It was of little use the ice left him totally immobile, save for his head as he tried to break the icy sheet. The more Glenn struggled the more he became aware how limited his range of motion was as he tried anything in a desperate bid to free himself.

"Hello, can anyone help?" asked Glenn somewhat sullenly, as a few figures made his way towards him. The sound of sirens being drowned out only when the door was closed was not a good omen as he heard someone stop just a few feet to his left and Glenn made the effort to move his head in order to make eye contact.

"Well, sure looks like you've got yourself into quite the predicament," replied the Donut Sheriff as Glenn tried to wrestle out of the ice mold. "Running from an accident, that's pretty reckless."

"You're going through all this trouble just to find me? What about that robber, you're not going to track him down?"

"Stop your yammering," snapped the Donut Sheriff. "That's the last thing I need right now. We have some of our best guys working on tracking down that robber as we speak."

"Richard, I need your help," said Glenn reluctantly as he tried to break out of the ice with renewed vigor.

"How, though? You're sort of trapped in ice," said Richard, as he was escorted by another officer over to the spot Glenn was stuck.

"Well, you're ninety percent body fat, so I think you know what to do," explained Glenn.

"Oh," said Richard and breaking free of the other officer he slammed into Glenn snapping the ice around him as Glenn leaped over the bar and tugged Richard over the counter as the Donut Sheriff fired his taser at the two fugitives.

"Well, this is exciting," replied Glenn sarcastically.

"Excuse me, ninety percent body fat?" said Richard crossing his arms. "I'll let you know that I'm only eighty-five percent body fat!"

"Well sorry about that, but I had to do something to catch your attention," replied Glenn. "Come on, we can escape out the back."

"You're sure that's a bright idea?" said Richard as Glenn snuck around the counter past the bartender Firefly who looked at them with buggy eyes as he jerked his head towards the way out.

"You two are okay in my book, just be sure to come back and successfully stop a robbery in the future," hissed the anthropomorphic lightning bug as he cleaned glasses with his multiple hands a surprising rate. "Door's unlocked."

"Okay it's just around the corner," said Glenn taking the lead with Richard tagging slightly behind as he made a smorgasbord of all the leftovers at the bar area.

As Glenn slipped the back door open he found himself face to face with an officer of the law. It was clear that he was a rookie, but the nervous officer responded by spraying a large dose of pepper spray into the coyote's eyes.

"Ow, ow! I'm blind," exclaimed Glenn stumbling backward as Richard plowed past the officer tugging Glenn along with him. "Richard, I'm going to need you to drive."

"What are you saying, we both know I can't drive without a license!" exclaimed Richard as Glenn rubbed his eyes in annoyance.

"And what am I supposed to do Richard crash my way down the street?!" asked Glenn his eyes burning painfully. "Besides, you'll be a slight improvement over me driving."

"Funny," replied Richard, dryly as he put the keys into the ignition.

"Well, it is practical, come on, we should catch that robber."

"What, you actually want to pursue that lunatic?" asked Richard shocked as Glenn nodded.

"Are we just going to let him get away with a large amount of cash?"

"But you want me to pursue a crazy kleptomaniac in order to make a citizen's arrest?"

"That's exactly my point," said Glenn calmly though his eyes stung with excruciating pain.

"I must be out of my mind," muttered Richard as he backed the car out without a problem and took off in hot pursuit on the trail of Sal Left Thumb.

"So, since you're my wheel man, can I trust you to get me close enough to Sal's car so I'll be able to grab the money?"

"You can count on me," said Richard somewhat nervously as he tighten his already white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

Though it was hard for Glenn to see, he still heard the hesitation in Richard's voice. "Keep it cool and we should have no problems," said Glenn soothingly as they whizzed down the lanes. "Keep it slow if you have to. Ease off the gas."

Richard was thankful to have Glenn by his side helping him through all this, Glenn was a good driver and he seemed to know how Richard was doing as he put the pedal to the metal. As Richard rounded the corner he spotted the familiar print of Sal Left Thumb driving a convertible, cruising away from Firefly's Bar and Grill at a good clip.

Richard felt a smug sense of satisfaction as he came up right behind the red convertible as Glenn squinted his itchy red eyes in hopes of getting some clue of what was going on.

"Ha, those suckers don't even know where I'm at!" yelled the grimy fingerprint as he looked triumphantly at the bag of cash stored on his passenger's side.

Just then the fingerprint noticed something in his rear view mirror a silver Ford sedan right behind him. Sal could see that the dusty brown coyote and pink rabbit he had met at the bar were in the car behind him. The coyote's eyes were red and inflamed, and the pink rabbit was behind the wheel.

"What the heck?" stated Sal confused as the sedan tapped into the rear of his car. "You two don't know when to quit do you?"

With a spin of the wheel and slamming his foot on the gas, Sal was able to pull a complete one-eighty and speed off down the road burning rubber and leaving the strong smell of it in his wake.

"Haha, see you suckers!" said Sal triumphant as the silver car became a blip on the horizon as he continued to barrel down downtown Elmore in his convertible. "Ah, I lost the cops and those lousy, good for nothing jerks."

However, the wail of sirens forced his mind to be caught off guard as he back down a narrow alleyway to avoid being spotted. The shadowy and cool environment was a natural shelter from the cops as he stepped out of his vehicle to check if there were any damages inflicted upon the car in the brief time the coyote and the rabbit were tailing him.

"Vigilante justice," snorted the fingerprint as he placed his grimy fingers onto the bag that was filled to the brim with cash from Firefly's Bar and Grill.

It was a decent haul. It was the best and fastest way to get paid with the minimal amount of effort necessary.

"Look at all that cold hard cash," muttered Sal as he licked his lips with anticipation. He hid behind his car slightly as a patrol of cops whizzed by. He was certain they would never find him here.

A noise in the alleyway caught his attention. He wasn't alone...

"Show yourself sucker, otherwise I'll find you and turn you into a living pop sickle!" roar Sal his voice amplified due to the fact he was shaking slightly from fear.

A small boy, with his grimy outfit, stepped into the light. The boy was a skunk with a backward baseball cap and did not care that Sal had just threatened him.

"Ah, it is just a little kid," said the fingerprint aggravated as he put his freeze ray away.

The boy's luminous eyes seemed to wander around the fingerprint and the car as he drew closer to it taking in every little detail along the way and running his paw on the side.

"Whoa whoa whoa, get your filthy paws off the car, it's a classic!"

The little orphan either didn't understand the words or he paid no attention to them as jump up on the side to see what was in the passenger's seat.

"Okay sucker, that's enough!" said Sal paranoid by the skunk's behavior around the car the fingerprint grabbed the small boy attempting to forcibly move him.

However, the small skunk was more than the crook had bargained for as the skunk sunk his sharp pointy little teeth into his hand causing him to yell in pain forcing him to drop the little critter who quickly weaved around the larger adult and he scurried off.

"That little weasel!" shouted Sal as he looked around for the little skunk as he shook his hand in frustration trying to get rid of the numbing and annoying pain. Just to be safe he checked to see if the large brown bag was still there, and much to his relief it still was.

 _'I ought to be more careful from here on out,'_ thought Sal as he got back into his car and started to back down the alley back the way he came.

* * *

"You alright Glenn?"

"Yeah, why?" asked Glenn rubbing his watery eyes in annoyance.

"It just seems like you're in a lot of discomfort," answer Richard as he pulled smoothly into a parking lot and stopped the car.

"I sort of am, but remember we've got to stop Sal, and hopefully, maybe that will be enough to clear our names."

"I guess you have a point, but I don't imagine Nicole or Brooke will take any of this lightly," said Richard as adjusted his tie.

"Ain't that the truth," grumbled Glenn still annoyed by the pain in his eyes.

"Maybe you should rest for a bit, it seems like you could use some shut eye."

"I'll be sure to get some, let me know if anything interesting comes up," said Glenn yawning and leaning back into his seat ignoring the painful throbbing in his eyes as he relaxed his body.

The small orphan looked at the fingerprint with curiosity, the little skunk was more cautious and wanted to keep his distance as the crook looked at his plunder. He had gotten close once before and it hadn't worked out well. But if he could get close without being detected, that was a different story.

"Why is this thing having so many problems right now?" howled Sal in anger as hot steam poured from out of the engine and the fingerprint beat up on it in frustration with a wrench he had taken from the trunk. "Nothing can work properly can it?"

The spraying of hot steam into the crook's face caused him to shriek in pain and he shot his freeze gun at the engine encasing it in ice as he muttered to himself angrily as he swapped out his tool set in order to make repairs.

The small skunk snuck around the corner. Whatever that was in that brown bag had to be good if he was safeguarding it will such unwavering attention, and he had a good idea what might be in there as he slid his small frame into the back of the car and flopped on top of the backseat as he lowered himself to the floor of the car, reaching his paw ever so slightly to handle of the brown bag, it was almost within his grasp...

The car door was wrenched open and an oil-splattered Sal entered wiping the grimy substance from himself as the small skunk hid the majority of his body underneath the seat and waited taking only shallow breaths in order not to be discovered as he bided his time, he'd have his chance. The skunk slipped further and further underneath the seat, his luminous eyes focused upon the brown bag wondering when he'd have the opportunity to acquire it.

* * *

Richard kept particularly quite as Glenn dozed off and busied himself with looking over a small driving manual he had found in the glove compartment. The detailed diagrams gave the pink rabbit a more solid understanding of how the car operated as he skimmed through the pages. It was quite informative and Richard found himself going through the book again and again for better driving tips.

"Did I miss much?" said Glenn yawning as he leaned forward in his seat and got a looked out the window to see everything was still blurry, though the pain had mostly subsided as he blinked in order to see again.

"Not much, it's been awfully dull, to be honest, and there still hasn't been any signs of that bandit."

"Not surprising, he seems like the elusive type," said Glenn as he stored the small manual back in the glove compartment.

"I'm sure he'll turn up eventually, he won't be able to help himself from robbing more places."

"Yeah, but at least he won't be trying to rob places with a spoon because that's not exactly an intimidating way to go about a robbery," commented Glenn as he thought he saw a flash of bright red flash across the windshield.

"Was that-" asked Glenn being caught off guard.

"Nope," said Richard grimacing as he noticed the familiar red station wagon.

"Then who-"

"I think you know who it is," said Richard.

"Do you mean to tell me, it's her?"

"Yep."

"Oh brother," said Glenn burying his face in his hands. "We're done for."

"I don't think she's spotted us yet," replied Richard hopefully as Glenn groaned.

"She can sniff fear a mile away," said Glenn, resting his head on the dashboard.

"Yeah, well Nicole is so good at seeing things she's got eyes in the back of my head!" exclaimed Richard as Glenn gave a weirded out look.

"Never mind that now, we've got to get going a find that robber, we're on our own this time."

"I really wish it wasn't the case this time," grimaced Richard as he started up the car and they left the lot in search of the red convertible.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Sal Left Thumb, he was leaking a trail of thick black oil behind his car as he putted along away from his old hiding spot. But that would be the least of his worries as the small skunk slinked towards the bag of cash carefully and ever so slightly as Sal mashed the accelerator in hopes for the vehicle to go faster. The engine however only choked and crawled forward.

"C'mon, they told me this thing was fast!" said Sal aggravated by his vehicles lack of performance. The fingerprint mashed his accelerator in annoyance and eventually the car started to speed up, skidding the small skunk forward and he shirked and avoided the gaze of the fingerprint.

Fortunately, for the small rascal he went unnoticed by him and the skunk began to rummage through the bag to see what all the hubbub was about. Much to his surprise, the bag was loaded with cash to a quantity he had never seen before and the little kid had to stop himself from gapping in astonishment as he pocketed several heaps of cash into his pockets. However, the rascal made enough noise to draw suspicion and before he knew it, the eyes of Sal Left Thumb had focused in on him.

"Whatcha think you're doin' sucker?!" he shouted angrily and blasted the spot on the mat where the orphan's head had been seconds prior. "Come back here you little runt!"

The fingerprint slammed on his brakes bring the car to a violent and sudden stop. This was what the small skunk needed as he slid out of the back of the car smoothly and landed on the pavement before taking off in the opposite direction. Sal responded with a yell filled with fury and he wheeled the car around in desperation.

"You're not getting away from me so easily you little stinker!" said Sal as he gritted his teeth and put the pedal to the floor causing the car to move with blinding speed down the road in order to catch up with the small orphan who was startled to see that the car was moving up and over the curb just to pursue him, the small skunk hunkered down in dreaded anticipation for the car to collide with him.

However, the moment never came as a flash of silver T-boned the red convertible sending it spinning uncontrollably into a fire hydrant before hitting it and a spurt of fast moving water splashed all over the car and its driver.

"Eugh!" cried Sal as water got all over his grimy body and he struggled to unfasten his seatbelt.

"Now, that's how you make an entrance," said Glenn amused as the fingerprint continued to try to get out of his car.

"It's also how you make dents," quipped Richard, as he got out of the car as Glenn used his massive shoulder for support.

"Well, I'm sure my insurance will cover it," said Glenn shrugging he walked over to where a certain grimy fingerprint was still stuck. "So, fancy seeing you here, long time no see?"

"And I'm going to put you on ice!" said Sal in anger pointing his freeze ray at Glenn and pulling the trigger only for it to splutter and whine in his hand before the bright blue lights against the silver chrome of the blaster dimmed until they disappeared.

"This certainly isn't turning out to be your day is it friend?" said Glenn smugly, placing his foot on the hood of the convertible.

"Get lost sucker!" spat Sal angrily as the fingerprint continued to struggle against his taught seatbelt. There was a faint click as the seatbelt finally came loose and Sal leaped up from his seat as though it was some great triumph. "Outta my way, you're not important enough for me to waste my time."

"What's the big rush, loose something?" asked Glenn eyeballing the rather sheepish looking skunk bidding behind Richard as the grimy print tried to make his way over there only to find the mask covering his face was being pulled back on tightly so he couldn't move.

"What the-" said Sal and before he knew it, he felt himself get flung backward into the lamppost behind him as the scrawny print had to struggle to get back up. At which point, Glenn tapped Richard in and the large pink rabbit bounded over to the small print body slamming him and pinning him down to the ground. The sound of sirens and the hum of engines broke the silence of the quiet side street as a yellow and red pair of station wagons pulled up before the cops could even arrive.

"Uh-oh, we're in for it now, come on, let's hop in the car," said Glenn heading over to the driver's side.

"Wait, I thought you said you were blind?!" said Richard nervously, accidentally squashing Sal Left Thumb even more as a result.

"Don't worry, I can see a lot better," answered Glenn with some confidence. "Like I can make out dark blurry shapes and such."

"It doesn't matter, we're going to have to face the music at some point, it might as well be now," said Richard somewhat glumly.

No words were needed to describe the towering rage that Nicole Watterson was already in, as she slammed the door of the station wagon so hard that the glass cracked automatically. Not even a second later the form of Brooke appeared at her side, not as noticeably angry and her expression seemed to soften slightly for them as the waited for the moment for one of them to speak.

"Explain!" panted Nicole angrily as if she had just run a marathon as both Glenn and Richard exchanged frightened looks.

"So you see, it all started with me picking Richard up and trying to gauge some of his driving abilities in an actual road test of sorts," said Glenn sheepishly. "And it sort of went downhill from there-"

Glenn gave all the detail recounting everything, from Firefly's, to the small orphan who still refused to speak, to Sal and everything else, not a singular detail was left out or omitted.

"Well, that was quite the tale," remarked Brooke her slight glare disappearing as she patted the side of Glenn's face causing him to smile warmly.

"Still, we have to pay insurance for the car," said Glenn pointing at the rather crumpled front and back ends of the car. This caused Brooke to sigh.

"Way to ruin the moment Glenn."

"What? Someone has to think about this stuff," said Glenn matter of factly, as the dusty brown coyote shrugged and strode over to his car to do a further inspection of the damages.

"Under normal circumstances, you'd be charged with criminal offenses, but since you caught the crook and made my job a lot easier, I suppose we could let this one slide," said the Donut Sheriff somewhat awkwardly as if totally surprised by the fact that the large pink rabbit had actually aided them.

"Oh, could I ask for a favor then officer in return?" asked Richard delighted, as he knew what he had in mind.

"Sure, what is it."

"Could I have my license returned to me?"

"Uh sure," said the Donut Sheriff cautiously handing the card back to the large pink rabbit who fist pumped enthusiastically as he walked away and the officer found himself facing Glenn who had his arms crossed.

"Well, sorry for not going after the crook from the get go, but at least thanks to you we caught him."

"Don't thank me, thank Richard," said Glenn indicating to the large pink rabbit as the anthropomorphic donut picked up the brown bag that held the majority of the money. Glenn had long sine notice one of the stacks of money was missing as well as any sign of the orphan who had disappeared in all the commotion.

"Is it just me or does this bag doesn't quite look as full as it could be?" asked the Donut Sheriff as he stared at the contents.

"I think that crook managed to spend some before we caught up to him," lied Glenn as he looked on as Sal was stuffed unceremoniously into a squad car. He didn't want to get the small orphan boy into trouble, and he would probably use that money to have a few well-spent meals.

"That makes sense, at least we can return the majority of the money to its rightful owners," said the Donut Sheriff who was now more at ease.

"That's good to hear, and I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see that their money has been recovered," responded Glenn, ruffling his fur much like what his son did.

"That's for the help, Elmore owes you for your small, but significant contribution."

"I guess it was my civic duty after all," said Glenn jokingly as Brooke shook her head.

"Glenn..."

"It all worked out didn't it?"

Just then the sound of the accelerator caused all of them to jump as they watch a certain pink rabbit almost back into them. He waved happily towards them, no doubt obviously to the fact he had almost run them over as he shifted the car to drive and took off and he was focused on waving back towards them instead of looking ahead on the road and therefore several cars had to swerve to avoid getting into a collision with his car as Nicole clung on tightly.

The Donut Sheriff gave Glenn a skeptical look. "Do you really think any of you words about driving got through to him?"

"I'd like to think that a few of them did," admitted Glenn sheepishly as he watched the car dodge and weave around other cars.

"Let's hope you are right, because if he causes any more property damage, I'm giving you the bill," said the Donut Sheriff somewhat sourly as Glenn exchanged looks with his wife and just shrugged.

"Well, what can you do?"

* * *

 **Over one year of writing this story, wow I would have never imagined it. It took me a while for this chapter, but I hope everyone genuinely enjoyed it. If you liked this chapter feel free to review, favorite, or follow The Outsider, I tend to try to update the story weekly so if you want to keep an eye out for it feel free. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The Duo_**

 **Gumball and Darwin's curiosity about Grif spikes and they decide to ask Jake about the story about how the coyote and the griffin first met.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Well, Richard learned how to drive... sort of. XD At least he'll be able to take some of Glenn's advice to heart and improve on his driving abilities.**

 **-It was good to write the part Sal got a comeuppance for his actions last chapter.**

 **-I've found a great beta reader to continue Timey's work and I'm sure he'll be up to the challenge.**

 **-I'm really looking forward to showing you more of Jake and Grif's past next chapter.**


	27. Chapter 27: The Duo

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 27: The Duo

The warm days of spring were underway as the ground became soft and springy again, though the melting snow might often cause the ground to become squelchy and sticky with mud. For a certain coyote and his friends traveling through this squelchy and hazardous terrain could be less than ideal as they made their way to the park.

"What kind of weekend is this? I've never stepped in so much mud before," grumbled Gumball as Grif looked on whistling a merry tune as he sailed over them with ease thanks to his wings and he plopped down just after the muddy mess.

"Should I get you some drinks at as stand or something? It looks like you'll be a while," said Grif smarmily as the three boys continued to struggle.

"Give it a rest Grif, we're going as fast as we can," said Darwin panting, his longer legs doing little for him in terms of getting anywhere.

"Are you just going to amuse yourself by watching us?" asked Gumball as the griffin sat down fiddling with the grass blades that were sticking through the brown and dirt-flecked snow.

"Well, you must admit it is pretty entertaining to see the three of you do a mud race, right Jake?"

"Yeah, sure it is," said Jake trying to move his feet despite the fact that a large amount of mud that had piled up and stuck to his fur in clusters.

"I hope you get done sometime soon, I'm getting tired just looking at you," said Grif marginally entertained at the fact they hadn't progressed that far forward. "I may even cheer you on as a sign of good faith."

"Could you just help us... please?" asked Gumball desperately as the red and white griffin got up from where he was laying and walked over to them.

"All you had to do was ask. Just give me a second," said Grif rummaging through the depths of his bag before pulling out a small thin tan rope before throwing it out to them. "Grab ahold of it if you can."

One by one they were tugged from the grimy conditions of the mud onto the grass.

"That wasn't that hard was it?" said Grif dismissively as they all wiped mud from their clothes and limbs as they got their stuff together.

"Was he always like this?" asked Gumball frowning as the dusty brown coyote shrugged.

"As long as I can remember," said Jake as Gumball looked at Jake curiously.

"How long have you two known each other?"

"Over four years now, quite some time if you ask me," said Jake ruffling his messy fur as Gumball continued to stare.

"Tell me more," said Gumball as Jake's mind thought back to the time in Winslow.

* * *

The dusty streets and the heat of Winslow were a welcoming familiarity to the dusty brown coyote, that he had become accustomed to. The bus stop was a nice enough place, except this morning, was going to be different, and for good reason.

"Watch out below!" shouted a voice above him as Jake scanned the area above him before something landed on him from above sending the two boys to the pavement painfully.

"What was all that about?" grunted the eight-year-old coyote got to his feet and fixed his tan pants and blue and white hoodie.

"Sorry, maneuvering can be hard sometimes, just be glad that this was one of my more graceful landings," explained the strange looking boy as he got up and brushed himself off. The mixture of feathers and fur made hard to distinguish what kind of animal he might be. His clothes were fairly simple, as all he was wearing was a white and cyan baseball t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"I'll take your word for it," said Jake raising one of his eyebrows, as the boy scrambled around for stuff in his backpack.

"So, we must be in the same grade, what's your name?" said the boy pleasantly as Jake averted his eyes. "Is your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth or something?"

"No, I'm just not interested in talking," responded Jake as the white and red animal found his way over to him.

"I'm Griffin Sullivan, but you can call me Grif for short," said the stranger offering a paw to him to shake.

The coyote gave a skeptical look before taking it and giving him an unsteady handshake.

"I must say, I haven't met anyone quite like you before," said Jake as 'Grif' face changed from one of a bright demeanor to one of suspicion.

"Are you calling me weird?" said Grif his spirits somewhat downtrodden.

"No, I'm calling you unique, but definitely different, yeah," said Jake quickly as the boy raised his head, his spirits once again brightened by Jake's compliment.

"I'm not so different from you actually, I even have a nose and mouth, just like you."

"It looks more like a beak to me."

"That's because you haven't seen me do this," said Grif confidently, and in a split second the faceplate separated into pieces and separated revealing a pink button-like nose and a mouth.

"Wow!"

"See, I'm just like you," said Grif reassuringly as he let his faceplate one again cover his mouth as Jake blinked.

"That's so cool, I've never seen anyone do something like that."

* * *

"Wait wait wait!" said Gumball interrupting Jake's tale. "Are you telling me there's a face underneath that solid plate?"

"You talking about Grif? Grif, care to demonstrate?" asked Jake turning to his companion.

The griffin separated the shield over his mouth and blew Gumball a loud raspberry before resealing the plate over his mouth.

"Thank you Grif," said Jake nodding and giving a smile at his demonstration.

"No problem, now shall we get back to the story," said Grif picking up. "So that was just us meeting, there's a lot more to it than that..."

* * *

Jake slid into his seat right next to the griffin who was busy messing with his hairdo trying to give it the windswept quality he was looking for.

"So, we have this class together, who'd have thunk," said Grif, greeting him with a roguish wink.

"I suppose so pal," said Jake quite seriously as Grif grabbed his supplies from his backpack.

The door opened up and a crackling electric figure walked in, his body glowing a bright blue.

"Good morning class," said Mr. Boltz as the class grumbled back their response.

"This is going to be a long day," muttered Grif grinning as he nudged Jake with his elbow. "Try not to fall asleep on me."

"Believe me, I won't, I tend to pay attention in class," said Jake confidently as he sat up straight, while the griffin tried to mimic him.

"Let's see if that's the case, are you up for the challenge?"

Several years had passed since the dusty brown coyote and red and white griffin had met. Not only that, but things were looking up for the dynamic duo followed by a few of the friends as they walked out of the small classroom towards the cafeteria at the sound of the bell.

"So Grif, what did you think of question seven on the test," said Jake cheerily as Grif looked at him, delighted that he had brought up the question.

"That one was wonderful, it's even better that sort of applied to me," said Grif grinning and winking at some girls passing down the other side of the hallway causing them to giggle as he adjusted his pilot's helmet.

"I'm not so sure about question seven," stammered the small armadillo behind them as he hugged on tightly to his papers. "I think we should have studied more until we were absolutely certain all those answers are correct."

The griffin laughed at this, startling the small armadillo. "If you're so accustomed to reading the text book maybe you should marry it. And you hang out with a griffin every day Stanley, how could you not be sure about that one?"

"He's got a point you know," chimed in the silver mink standing beside Stanley as the small armadillo stared at his feet.

"Thank you, Denise!"

Out of the four friends Stanley was most certainly the oddball of the group. While Grif was popular, Jake was likable, and Denise was athletic, Stanley fit under no category other than nerdy. His sweatshirt and large glasses subjected him to some bullying, still he was fortunate to have friends like them, although Grif's patience often wore thin when Stanley was overreacting.

"Don't worry about it too much Stanley, aren't you pulling A's in all your courses?" said Jake hoping to raise Stanley's spirits.

"Not gym, I'm pulling a D," said Stanley nervously adjusting his glasses again.

"You better take some cues from Denise then," scoffed Grif as they made their way to the cafeteria.

Winslow Junior High was quite as big as Elmore's Junior High school, but it was nice enough. The orderly like was as usual, the largest students were already at the from as their were larger and stronger than the average student and could push to the front of the line. Though not all of them were mean spirited as Jake and Grif walked up to a tan and red allosaur standing in line waiting patiently for his meal.

"Hey Al, thanks for keeping our spots warm for us," said Jake in a friendly tone, as the large allosaurus looked for the source of the noise before noticing the four friends behind him.

"Oh, it's you guys, go ahead and head through buddy," replied Big Al in his surprisingly baritone voice, as he moved his left leg to clear them passage.

"Thank you Al!" said Jake holding out his small paw for the large dino to high five with his large arm.

* * *

"Whoa whoa, wait, Winslow had an allosaurus attending school, why didn't you tell me before?" objected Gumball loudly causing Jake and Grif to cutoff their story.

"Gumball please, do you want to hear about our past or not?" said Jake critically, as the blue cat tried to object his brother nudged him in the ribs in order to stop him from saying anything else.

"Now, can we get back to it?" said Grif crossing his arms as he thought back to where they had left off. "You see, we were some of the highest achievers at our school, never failed at everything. Of course, I was the greatest of them all, only kidding Jake. You see, we always had each other's backs..."

"Do you think Stanley will cheer up?" said Jake starring at the armadillo as he cleared off his lunch tray into the trash can as Grif looked over.

"Ah, he'll be fine, he just needs some time to process all this is all," answered Grif, as he started to scrape off his tray. "I'm sure he's just a bit concerned about his grade in gym class. Half the time I'm asleep during it and I'm still pulling a B minus, he just needs to work on it is all."

"I hope you're right about that, I'm going to go check up on him," said Jake patting Grif on the back as he walked over to the glum armadillo. "You good?"

"Huh, yeah I'm fine," said Stanley straightening up and acting casually as Jake walked over and sat down next to him.

"I think there is more going on here than your letting on," said Jake observantly as Stanley sighed.

"Well, it's just there's someone who's pushing me around is all," said Stanley getting the weight off his chest.

"It's not Grif is it, because I can talk-"

"No, no it's not Grif, it's him," said Stanley indicating to a powerful built mongoose.

"I'll go talk to him, see if I can get him to ease off," said Jake looking over to Stanley sympathetically.

As Jake stood up he noticed the aerodynamic frame of Grif standing next to him.

"So what's the word?"

"Some mongoose has been giving Stanley a hard time is all," replied Jake fixing his bandana and walking over to the mongoose's table.

"What? Leave this to me, I'll sort this one out!" growled Grif as he stormed over to the table as Jake tried to keep up with him. "Hey ugly, yeah you!"

The cafe fell silent as all eyes swiveled over to see what was going on between Grif and the pale mongoose he was talking to. An uneasy silence followed as the mongoose turned to face the small griffin bringing his face inches from Grif's.

"What do you want punk?" snarled the mongoose. His breath was the most unpleasant combination of things, it smelled like rotting onions and bad salami. Grif gagged at this unpleasant smell but didn't back off.

"I want you to leave my friend alone is what I want you to do," snarled Grif back just as threateningly, despite his smaller stature as the pale mongoose leered at them.

"If you know what's best for you, I suggest that you back off," said Jake crossing his arms. "I wouldn't want to make him angry, otherwise I can't assure you that I can restrain him."

"I'll do whatever I feel like it," snarled the mongoose as he cracked his knuckles. "I suggest you back off before this gets ugly."

Jake and Grif both looked at each other, as much as they wanted to support their friend they didn't want to start a fight in the cafeteria.

"You better back off, or you'll regret this," said Grif, pointing at him as he is turned on his heel and marched away.

"That was something," said Jake skeptically.

"I'll show him if he gets any ideas," said Grif cracking his knuckles, no doubt eager for a fight.

"Cool it Grif, believe me, we don't want to be starting fights," said Jake warningly as he looked back at the pale mongoose who was gnashing his teeth.

"I guess that's fair, but if he starts anything I'm not going to go easy on him," said Grif darkly as be shot the mongoose another dirty look.

"Fair enough then, we should be careful, though."

Several hours later the dusty brown coyote and multicolored griffin stepped on into the streets as they started their walk home, both of them were discussing the science test that they had just taken.

"Earth science is quite interesting, I didn't expect to learn about plate tectonics today," said Jake enthusiastically.

"On that, we can agree, it was interesting," said Grif as Jake opened up to his textbook and flipped through the pages again to look at the various diagrams and images.

The sight of someone familiar however caught their attention. A certain pale mongoose was holding a boy's book bag out of reach as he laughed at the small armadillo's attempts to reach it.

"Come on, give in back!" shouted Stanley once again lunging for the bag which the mongoose just raised several inches lazily.

"You've got to try better than that you pathetic whelp," sniggered the mongoose as Grif glared at him.

"Well, looks like Stanley could use a little help, ready to cause some interference?" whispered Grif heatedly.

"Are you sure about-"

"And it's not like those two dimwits can help you out this time!" snarled the mongoose still unaware that the coyote and griffin were only a few feet behind him.

"Okay, now it's seriously our problem," said Jake frowning, as the griffin prepped himself for the fight they were about to throw themselves into.

"Whirlwind maneuver?" asked Grif smiling as the coyote grinned back.

"You read my mind, just don't move too fast," said Jake interlocking his arms with Grif's. "Ready?"

"Ready! Let's do this!"

With that, the griffin began to use his wings to spin himself and the coyote at a faster and faster rate until they were nothing but a blur of color and shapes. Then just as suddenly Grif let go of Jake and he moved like a bullet as he collided into the mongooses flattening him to the ground.

"What the?" said the mongoose startled as he attempted to get back up to his feet.

"Not expecting to see us so soon, we're full of surprises," said Grif, in a snarky tone as he walked up to help Jake back up from the ground as the coyote's head spun out of control and he had trouble steadying himself.

"Remind me to never do that again," said Jake queasily as Grif chuckled.

"Duly noted, I'm quite sure that you weren't as responsive last time, though," said Grif as the mongoose got to his feet and brandished his fist.

"You understand that you'll pay for that? No one hits me and gets away unscathed," said the mongoose his voice trembling with rage as Grif and Jake harden the contents of Stanley's book bag back to him.

"Better clear out Stanley, this may get ugly," chimed in Grif as he Jake stood side by side.

"How cute, the little princes want to play," snarled the mongoose two of his large and bulky friends shuffled in.

"Three titan-sized brutes taking on an aerial master and a down-to-earth coyote, for once I like these odds," said Grif as he backed up against Jake so they were back to back as the brutes circled around him. "Want to go for the knockout this time?"

"If you think you can keep them occupied long enough," answered Jake glancing back at him.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'm going to be," answered Jake back as the griffin launched off and attack the brutes from above while Jake knocked all their feet out from under them as they hit the ground very hard.

"Ouch, that has got to smart," said Grif sweeping down and rolling to the ground as the large brutes pulled back.

"They're not worth it, we'll get them another time," snarled the mongoose as he trooped away with his other two gargantuan friends.

"I swear those two are using caveman speak," said Grif shrugging as they walked away from the scene.

"True enough, let's just hope Stanley doesn't have a panic attack over this," said Jake shaking his head. "He's had a rough ride, though, we should check up on him tomorrow."

"Agreed."

* * *

Several months had passed from and the summer heat abated as fall began to roll around but things weren't exactly the way before for a certain coyote as he sat on the front porch of his house with the three other friends.

"You can't be serious, can you?" said Denise looking at him concerned.

"I am, my mom and dad are already having me pack up and getting ready to move out of Winslow," said Jake, fixing his bandana nervously.

"But what about us? How will you keep up?" asked Stanley timidly as Jake leaned against the railing.

"I'll try to keep in touch, I promise, but it will be difficult adjusting, I have lived here for all of my life after all," said Jake looking at the posted 'For Sale' sign plopped into his house's lawn. "I'll give you calls regularly or chat with you guys or even mail letters if I have to."

 _'All those memories of this house, they'll be gone,'_ though Jake sullenly.

"I'm sure Elmore won't be so bad," said Denise trying to be comforting as Jake paced as Grif sat head hung low at the news still letting it sink in.

 _'Welp, he was your best friend, and now he's moving across several states making him further away from you than ever,'_ thought Grif trying to keep a positive outlook as Denise slung her arm around the griffin.

"I'm sure it will be alright after all, Jake doesn't seem like the kind of guy to forget us," whispered Denise into Grif's ear as he nodded.

"I'm not worried about him, more about us," said Grif sullenly as Denise rested her head on his shoulder. "What's to stop us from drifting apart since Jake is leaving us?"

"We'll find a way to stick together, we always have," said Denise, as Jake stared off into the distance looking at the town he had grown attached to, it was almost like it was a part of his personality he wasn't complete without it.

"I suppose there will be there will be time for long winded goodbyes when the day comes, but for now let's just enjoy the rest of our time together," said Jake as he turned around to face them.

"Agreed," said Grif encouragingly, standing up, no longer feeling defeated. "It's about time we make the most of it."

The dusty brown coyote nodded approvingly as he and his friends moved into town for one last good time together.

* * *

It was time, Jake slunked in his chair as he munched on his cereal unenthusiastically. The taste of bland corn flakes didn't exactly improve his demeanor. His mind was still racing on about how he was going to stay in contact with his friends.

"Jake, are you feeling alright?" asked Brooke leaning forward over the counter as Jake shifted in his spot with no clear answer. "I know it's tough leaving all this behind, but you're going to have to cope with it and you'll be stronger because of it. Believe me, your father and I have had to deal with a lot of adversity in our lives. We know what you're going through sport."

Jake didn't give an answer in spite of all this, he just bobbed his head obediently as he pulled his backpack onto his shoulder. But before he could hop off his stool, his mother caught him by the paw and the light gray wolf comforted him.

"Do you remember all the times you use to wrestle with your father on that carpet? He used to string you upside down and the laughs you two would have," said Brooke reminiscing brightly as Jake looked at the home that was filled to the brim with so many fond memories. "Or perhaps the times you used to make a fort out of pillows on movie nights right between the couches?"

"That was a long time ago," said Jake inhale deeply envisioning himself as a six-year-old coyote, a wide-eyed youth who was amazed by the many wonders of the world.

"Believe me, you'll have just as many good memories in Elmore, just give it time," said Brooke, stroking his hair soothingly as the coyote calmed his anxieties.

 _'I can do this,'_ he thought determined as he walked out his house and was greeted by the vibrant colors of the morning sunrise. He noticed he wasn't the only one observing the violet and orange sunrise as a certain griffin was sitting underneath the shade of a willow tree with his legs crossed.

"I didn't expect to see you up at this hour of the morning," said Jake casually as he walked up next to the griffin as he looked at him with a tired but happy look.

"Come on, I'm not going to miss my best friend leaving," said Grif standing up and dusting himself off.

"So, I suppose this is it..."

"I guess it is, unless if I pay you a visit or vice versa."

"Well, I'll miss you, dude, Elmore won't quite be the same without you," said Jake extending out his paw for a handshake.

The griffin, however, brushed it away, leaving the coyote startled as the red and white griffin pulled his friend into a tight hug.

"Stay safe out there will ya?" said Grif, with a heavy-hearted smile.

"I promise, though I thought I would be holding you to that," said Jake smiling back, despite his departure was about to take place.

The griffin grinned at his statement before clapping him on the shoulder. "Until we meet again then!"

With a forceful smile Jake left his friend's side and got into the car with his mother and father, both of them were waiting patiently for him. He gave one last doleful glance at his friend waving his farewell. As they drove off away from his home and his friend became smaller and smaller dots on the horizon hardly distinguishable before they were gone.

* * *

"And that's how it all happened," said Jake finishing his tale as Gumball and Darwin looked from Jake back to Grif and back to Jake.

"That sure was quite a tale, you two have a lot of shared history don't you?" said Darwin quizzically as Jake nodded.

"Maybe you could tell me about how you and Gumball met sometime," said Jake smiling.

"I wouldn't advise that I don't want to be bored to tears," said Grif in a snarky undertone before becoming more audible. "We should really get some hot chocolate before it's all gone, besides the good weather is starting to roll in after all and I advise we take this time to enjoy it."

* * *

 **Ah another chapter, since the winter break and Christmas are coming around the corner you can expect to see an Outsider spinoff for Christmas and happy holidays! I had a lot of fun giving you some glances at Jake and Grif's past and highlighting their friendship. If you liked this chapter feel free to review, favorite, or follow The Outsider, I tend to try to update the story weekly so if you want to keep an eye out for it feel free. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The Fox_**

 **When Jake meets a friend of Gumball and Darwin he finds himself along with Grif being drawn into more of their misadventures. As long as Jake stays close to this purple fox and follows his lead his two friends assure him that he'll do fine.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I wanted to show a new aspect of Grif's personality in this chapter which was his somewhat hot-head attitude and his willingness to sometimes to pick fights. I also wanted to show that Grif and Jake are a coordinated team in some situations and they have each other's backs through thick and thin.**

 **-I'm looking forward to expanding the universe of The Outsider beyond the locations beyond the areas shown in the show and adding some new aspects of the town to it and I'm really looking forward to sharing it with you.**

 **-I had fun making new characters like Stanley, Denise, the mongoose, and Big Al for this story even if they are very minor roles, though they are fun to imagine and there's a reference when it comes to Big Al's character. Anyways, try to find any references you can, if you can.**

 **-A certain character from the archive will be making his first appearance for the first time in a while on this archive. Anyone who was a fan of a particular series probably already knows who this is.**


	28. Chapter 28: The Fox

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 28: The Fox

It was another normal day for Jake as he opened up his locker and scanned through his contents. Upon careful inspection, he found the things he needed as he stacked several of the textbooks he needed on top of each other. He was just about to shut it when he received a polite tap on the shoulder and he turned around to see a familiar face he had never talked to before. The purple fox was wearing a red hoodie and a pair of jeans and had several books tuck underneath his arm.

"May I borrow your math book?" said the purple fox very politely as Jake looked through his lockers contents before drawing out the turquoise textbook and handing it to the newcomer. "Much appreciated, you're one of the newer students here aren't you? What was your name, Jack Wiles?"

"Close, it's Jake Wiley," said Jake corrected the purple fox as he recognized who he was, he had seen him on multiple occasions talking to Gumball and Darwin about their misadventures. "You must be Brian O'Quinn then."

"That's right, I'm surprised we've gone so long without a formal introduction, though it's a pleasure to meet you, Jake."

"Likewise Brian. Where are you from? Elmore or some other place?"

"I'm from Folsom, my parents and I moved here over a year ago," answered Brian. "Where did you come from and how long have you been living in Elmore?"

"Just about five months I think," answered Jake honestly as Brian looked on curiously. "I'm from Winslow by the way, it's a small town in Arizona."

"It's nice to get to know a little more about you Jake, I'd assume we better get to class before Miss Simian has a temper tantrum," concluded Brian, as he packed his books underneath his arm.

"Don't tell Grif that, or he'll have a field day with that," scoffed Jake as he tightened his bandana around his neck.

"Grif?" asked Brian, perplexed.

"Well, you'll see," said Jake grimacing as he walked up to the wooden door to Miss Simian's classroom and as expected the form of Grif was hanging out right in front of it as they walked up to him.

"Purple? Am I going colorblind Jake?" asked the griffin shaking his head slightly as if hoping his vision would clear up.

"No, you're not Grif, meet Brian O'Quinn, a mutual friend of Gumball and Darwin."

"Those are some nice threads he's got on, though," said Grif eyeing his hoodie and jeans. "Stylish."

"So Grif, what's the word on Miss Simian?" said Jake urgently as whistled a tune under his breath.

"The word is that's she's ill, I haven't seen the sub, though, though I'm certain that whoever the new sub is, they have to be better than that aged baboon," said Grif whistling as he pushed open the door to the utter chaos ensuing in the room. "Isn't this just charming?"

"Well, it's something," said the purple fox grimacing in an attempt to keep a positive attitude.

"Right, but I'm not surprised since this is Elmore," admitted Jake as he slid into his regular seat and Brian follow in suite.

"At least this day will calm down, I'm looking forward to shooting some hoops after school, what about you?" said Brian trying to change the subject as he turned around to face Jake.

"I don't really know, my schedule is always changing or being altered. And are you shooting hoops all by yourself?"

"Well, actually, I'm planning on shooting hoops with my girlfriend," admitted Brian sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, well that's surprising," said Jake slightly taken aback.

"Yo, Brian, maybe you could help Jake out because he's got a crush and still can't express the way he feels about her," said Grif before Jake clapped his paw over the faceplate of Grif.

"Don't say another word!" hissed Jake in an undertone as Brian raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, her name is Kelsey Springer, and he straight up adores her," said Grif laughing in amusement, as Jake turned a bright shade of maroon from blushing.

"Uh, I'm not really an all around expert on romantic advice but I could try to help out when I can if you'd like," said Brian soothingly as the coyote signed in relief the color of his face returning back to normal.

"Thanks, Brian, in the meantime though is it alright if we hang out after school and learn a bit more about each other?" said Jake regain his composure as Grif leaned back in his chair. "And my good friend Grif promises to come along too."

"Wait, what?"

"Sure we could do that, I'm sure Rhonda will love to meet you, and I bet you wouldn't mind seeing Elmore Academy from the outside," said Brian smiling.

"Elmore Academy?"

* * *

For a certain yellow mouse, the day was going on as normally as it possibly could in a place like Elmore. Rhonda adjusted her uniform and brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she made her way to algebra class. She was very much focused on her promise that she would meet her boyfriend at the basketball court after school she almost ran into a large red bear.

"Hey Rhonda, you seem to be in a good mood today," said Ivan doing his best to give a friendly smile.

Rhonda couldn't help but smile back, the red bear had come a long way in mending his ways and making things up to everyone as of late. Though it was still strange to think about how he had tried to tear her and Mike apart or had a long term rivalry with Brian over winning her favor.

"Thank you, Ivan, it sure looks like things are looking up for you!" said Rhonda pleasantly as the red bear gave her a friend hug.

"Yeah, things have been going well, I've been trying to help mom and-" said Ivan instinctively cutting himself short.

"Are you still having difficulty adjusting to having your dad leaving you?" asked Rhonda a bit concerned for the red bear as he shook his head.

"No, it's just sometimes I think of what could have been is all, but don't worry, though, I'm committed to moving forward for the better," said Ivan as he fiddled with his textbooks.

"That's good for you Ivan," said Rhonda patting him on the shoulder as she walked off down the hallways to her algebra class, at least she didn't have to contend with another boring lecture from Mr. Dull this period.

* * *

"Well, this exciting, meeting new people, expanding your horizons!" said Gumball enthusiastically proceeding out of Elmore Junior High as the others followed behind him.

"Yeah right, I'm looking forward to the opportunity and the peace and quiet of not having to deal with him," whispered Grif snarkily as Jake shook his head. "Do you still have that muzzle that was placed on your face? Because we sure could use something like that right now."

"You'd probably just tighten it down too much," said the dusty brown coyote following the blue cat and the goldfish down the stairs as the purple fox followed them.

"Shouldn't I be taking the lead on this one, otherwise Gumball might get us lost," said Brian defensively as Gumball turned on his heel to face the others.

"Excuse me, I have an excellent sense of direction!" said Gumball annoyed.

"Yeah, if we're looking for trouble you're the perfect magnet," said Grif sarcastically.

"Gee, you're starting to remind me of Mike," muttered Gumball as he relinquished the lead to Brian.

"So Brian, what kind of person is Rhonda?" inquired Jake as they turned the corner revealing the quiet basketball court on this part of town.

The dark asphalt made way for the green surface of the court and the shiny silver baskets reached from the ground having to be at least seven feet off the ground. On the far side of the court, there was a certain yellow mouse already getting the chance to practice as she shot different angles, each time getting a perfect shot and a swish resounded from the hoop. The girl was dressed in tan pants and a striped blue and white t-shirt.

"Hey Rhonda!" said Brian enthusiastically as the yellow mouse turned to face him.

"How's it going, Brian? And you didn't say you were bring friends."

"Change of plans, Jake, Grif, I would like you to meet my girlfriend Rhonda Paxton," said Brian blushing slightly, but his purple fur did a good job masking this as the dusty brown coyote gave a happy wave, whilst the red and white griffin just winked.

"A pleasure to meet you both, and you certainly stand out, even in a place like Elmore," said Rhonda giggling as Grif adjusted his pilot's goggles before the coyote nudged him signaling him to knock it off.

"Mind if I take a shot Rhonda?" asked Gumball as the mouse passed the ball over to him and he made a shot on the hoop. Things didn't exactly go well as the ball ricocheted off the hoop towards Rhonda, which startled her, but fortunately Brian was standing right next to her and managed to pull her out of harm's way as Grif covered his mouth and nose just at the right time with his mouthplate as he used it to bounce the ball in the opposite direction. Brian was checking to see if Rhonda was fine as she had almost fallen over in all the commotion.

"Could you try not to give Rhonda a black eye, or try to knock my teeth out Gumball?" growled Grif heatedly as the blue cat sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"My bad, I won't let that happen again," confessed Gumball as Darwin took his turn with the ball shooting a successful three-pointer.

"How? How did you do that?" asked Jake amazed as Darwin smiled.

"Simple, it's all in the legs," answered Darwin demonstrating with a second shot that landed just as perfectly.

"Right..." said Jake shaking his head as a certain griffin edged up to him.

"So, doesn't this mouse remind you of your own crush, the same sweet loving personality mixed with a natural ability at sports, except your crush has a thing for hockey, and have you two had your first kiss yet?" said the griffin his mouthplate still closed so Jake might not sock him in the nose.

The coyote had other options however as he yanked back the griffin's goggles and let them snap back and slam into his face painfully, leaving him slightly cross-eyed for a few seconds before he recovered.

"Will that help you hold your tongue or will I be needing a muzzle for you too?" said Jake dryly as he was tossed the ball and he made a few shots on the hoop, though most of them bounced off or didn't stick.

"Mind if I give you some hints Jake?" asked Rhonda walking over and investigating his stance, as the coyote dribbled the ball.

"Sure, any and all help is appreciated Rhonda," said Jake smiling warmly as the mouse placed her paws over his.

"Move your paws, here, and here," said Rhonda directing where Jake's paws should move. "Now, just bend your knees, envision yourself doing it, and shoot."

The coyote closed his eyes envisioning the orange ball passing through the hoop and clunking on the ground as it swished smoothly through the netting. And with opening his eyes he shot the ball and watched it hit the rim and roll in, certain not the score he envisioned it to be, but the method had still worked regardlessly.

"Wow, thanks, Rhonda," stated Jake, nodding to her as he deposited his backpack on the court bench and trotted back onto the court eager to play a real game of basketball, even though it wasn't quite his forte.

"Don't mention it," said Rhonda giving a friendly smile as he came back over. "Ready for a real game of basketball?"

All of them let out mummers of agreement at this as they all rushed to the line with Rhonda and Gumball being team captains.

"Since we have six people it should be a game of three-on-three," stated Gumball. "You can get first choice Rhonda."

It was a no-brainer for Rhonda as she singled out the purple fox

"Brian!"

It was Gumball's turn and once again it was a no brainer for him as he looked through the lineup.

"Darwin."

There were only two choices left, the dusty brown coyote and red and white griffin who were standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Looks like we're going to be opposite teams, do you think you'll be able to keep up with me Jake?" said the griffin ruffling his feathers to give them the same windswept appearance he was used to.

"Oh, I know I can keep pace," said Jake grinning back as Rhonda carefully weighed between the two possible candidates.

"Jake, get over on my side," said Rhonda after a short while and the coyote trotted over to the yellow mouse's side and looked at Grif's sour expression as he walked over to Gumball's team.

"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" muttered Grif stepping over to Gumball's side, but being as far away from the blue cat as possible as he avoided high fiving Gumball as he faced the front of the court.

"Ready?" said Rhonda, as she spun the ball in between her hands. And with that, the game was off. It was a wild first few minutes. The momentum of the game changing too many times to be counted as both teams made desperate attempts to get the ball. The yellow mouse managed to break away and zip past Gumball and Darwin as Grif attempted to block her as the leaned back and took a shot, scoring a perfect three pointer.

"Lucky shot," said Grif crossing his arms, as he scowled slightly.

"When you practice as much as I do, you know it's skill, not luck," replied Rhonda smirking as she passed the ball to the griffin.

"Oh, you're going down Paxton," said Grif as he speedily dribble the ball back and forth and underneath his legs as he made his way down the opposite end, the coyote trotting along and keeping Gumball covered so he might not pass it to him as the griffin continued to show off his moves.

"He shoots he scores! What a star!" said Grif confidently as he leaped into the air using his wings to propel himself over Rhonda as he twisted in the air and made a slam dunk while still facing the other way. "All I do is win!"

"Talk about a show-off!" said Jake chuckling as Rhonda nodded.

"I'm surprised he can get off the ground with that massive ego and being as dense as he is," replied Rhonda.

"Oh come on, princess, you're probably just upset because you chipped a nail," Grif shot back as a retort.

"Well, this seems like we're getting along," said Jake dryly as all of them cracked up at this.

"You could even say your head is in the clouds Grif," said Brian snickering.

"Hey, I handle the puns around here dude!"

The balance of the game shifted many times more, but it was no surprise that Rhonda was scoring most of the points for the team Jake was on, after all, Rhonda's skills at basketball were considered legendary for many of her colleagues at Elmore Academy and their girl's team had hardly been defeated at all.

"Alley-oop!" exclaimed Jake, as he saw Brian set Rhonda up for the perfect opportunity and once again it was no surprise that the mouse scored perfectly once again.

"I would like to complain that with Rhonda this game is rigged in your favor," joked Grif in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, there's your motivation to practice Grif," replied Jake grinning as the griffin leaned up against the chain link fence and wiped the sweat from his face onto his t-shirt.

"Yeah, and an excuse to build my stamina while I'm at it because I can't keep up with her," said Grif panting heavily he poured the contents of his metal water bottle over his head in order to help himself to cool off.

"That was quite the game, ready for a rematch?" asked Rhonda eagerly spinning the basketball on her fingertip as she saw the griffin panting desperately.

"I think I'm good for now, I've already been beaten badly enough for one day," admitted Grif giving his paw out to shake as Rhonda took it.

"You sure put up some fierce competition, even if the odds were stacked against you," replied Rhonda as she relinquished her grip.

"Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate that now anyways, I think I might pass out now," said Grif woozily.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," said Rhonda, but as she said this the griffin indeed fell backward landing on the court turf.

"Well, it looked like he wasn't lying," said Gumball dryly, poking the griffin with his foot who let out a low groan.

"I've got him, just give me a moment," said Jake crouching down and pulling the griffin back to his feet. "Blimey, he's heavier than I thought!"

"Need a hand?" asked Darwin kindly walking over hurriedly to where Jake was supporting Grif's weight.

"That certainly would be helpful," replied Jake through gritted teeth as he tried to relieve the weight that was currently pressing down on his back.

"Give me his other arm," replied Darwin as Gumball handed it to him for the goldfish to support.

"We should probably get him back to his house, we'll catch up with you later Brian, you too Rhonda! It was a pleasure meeting you both!"

"Same here Jake, have a good one!" replied the purple fox waving back.

The dusty brown coyote waved farewell as he walked away with Grif's arm slung over his shoulder. They left the green and white striped court for the dingy and dark asphalt as they made their way home leaving Brian and Rhonda to themselves.

"Well, it seems like we've got some time to kill," said Brian walking up to his girlfriend as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Let's just enjoy our down time together and while away the hours," answered Rhonda as the purple fox smiled back.

"It's very nice to slow down once in a while, this year is more crazy than last, sure getting used to Elmore was one thing, but now we've got guys like Jake and Grif thrown into the equation as well," said Brian, shrugging as he took the yellow mouse's hand.

"I like Jake, he seems quite modest, and very mature for his age, as for Grif, he seems a bit of a jokester but his heart is in the right place."

"I guess you have a point when it comes to that. Jake seems like he'd be able to keep Grif in check, though. So what's been going on at Elmore Academy?"

"Not much, I ran into Ivan though, it's good to see him making amends for his past, he sure has turned over a new leaf," said Rhonda giving a warm smile.

"That's wonderful to hear, of all people he deserves a second chance and to redeem himself for past mistakes," said the purple fox nodding approvingly.

"I'm glad you agree, Brian."

"I'm just glad we were able to convince him of his wrong doings and set him back on the right path."

"I knew after all that time there still had to be a good person in him, in spite of all the things he did, like turning me against Mike, that was a low blow on his part."

"I'm glad he made amends," said Brian. "Let's just watch the sunset."

The golden gleam from the sunset reflected off the silver benches as Brian and Rhonda sat down on the one nearest to them. It made Brian smile as his girlfriend leaned closer into him, putting her head on his shoulder. Rhonda gave him a radiant smile that was just as bright as the sun.

"So fluffy tail, are you going to kiss me or what?" asked the yellow mouse, causing the purple fox to blush at the use of his embarrassing nickname.

After blushing, a bright red the fox and then the mouse leaned close and shared a tender kiss. For Brian, it was like the sensation like that fireworks were going off in his head in a spectacular and amazing fashion. It was a perfect moment for the two as the sunlight shown down on them giving off a warm glow and as they broke apart.

"Now that's a kiss sugar," giggled Rhonda as the purple fox leaned back in his seat, his paw still interlocked with the yellow mouse's.

"Uh, thanks," said Brian still blushing fortunate that the sunlight was distracting enough so Rhonda wouldn't realize that he was still blushing.

"So where do we go from here?"

"That's a good question Rhonda, to be honest, I haven't thought that far ahead yet," said Brian laughing slightly as Rhonda looked on with interest.

"Neither have I," said Rhonda, truthfully. "I've been so busy keeping up with so much stuff sometimes I lose track of where I'm at. But fortunately, I someone like you to help me through good times, and through bad."

"For better or for worse," agreed Brian smiling back as he tightened the strings of his hoodie. "Come on, I'll keep you company on your walk home if you want Rhonda."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

"For a girl as lovely as you, I'd do it anytime."

"Haha."

* * *

For the coyote, he was still having difficulties carrying Grif towards his house as he wasn't exactly prepared to carry the griffin. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed by someone or something. The shadow of large figure started approaching him, the frightening stature only reminded him of one possible person, the terrifying form of Randal. However the shadow told a different story, the ears were rounder, and the hair was slick and styled as opposed to Randal's crew cut.

"Need a hand stranger?" asked the large figure in a friendly voice as he looked up past his sweaty bangs into the face of a red bear who towered over him, he was about the same size as Randal, but he looked more like a jock, with his slicked back hair and jacket emblazoned with the letters EA no doubt for Elmore Academy.

"Yes, I sure could use that, Gumball and Darwin had to get a move on back to their house, and they left me carrying Grif."

"Gumball and Darwin, you wouldn't happen to know Brian O'Quinn or Rhonda Paxton by any chance would you?" asked the red bear, lifting up the unconscious form of Grif with relative easy.

"I just met them today actually," said Jake. "Why are you asking?"

"Any friend of those two is a friend of mine, the name's Ivan Thompson by the way, and who you might be?"

"Jake Wiley, the kid from Winslow, Arizona."

"So you're still kinda new to town, I see," said Ivan nodding. "Still it's always nice to see a new face."

"You did have me startled for a second," admitted Jake, as Ivan looked at him worried.

"I didn't come off as intimidating or threatening did I?"

"No, you were fine, I was just reminded of a certain wolverine who I'm not exactly on good terms with."

"Don't worry, I've got your back Jake if you ever need me."

"That's very kind of you, now if you'll follow me, Ivan, I can lead you to Grif's house so his parents can take care of him."

"Go ahead Jake, I'll be sure to see if Grif manages to wake up on his own."

The coyote set off down the street with the red bear following in suit as The made their way to the Sullivan residence hopefully they'd be able to explain to Grif's parents on why their son was currently unconscious without rousing suspicion.

* * *

 **Over two-hundred reviews, that's quite a milestone and I'm glad I've got this far as for the story itself it's reaching the halfway point. And I know a lot of you are probably wondering if Jake and Kelsey are going to become a couple anytime soon, for those of you who are read next weeks chapter description below. Any and all reviews, favorites, or follows are very much appreciated. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The Outage_**

 **Things go awry at the Springer household when Jake stays over for a sleepover, and a city wide blackout occurs...**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-If you haven't already checked it out, search up 'The Newcomer' by NeoNimbus his story is what inspired me to take up writing in the first place and this would theoretically take place after his story (though I'm not entirely sure that these stories are in the same universe, it's more along the lines that they have similarities and commonalities between them, do you agree, Neo?). It should be fairly easy to find as it as it still holds the record for most reviews on the archive.**

 **-It was refreshing to include other characters in my story that haven't appeared on the archive in quite some time, and I wanted to have Brian and Jake quickly strike up a friendship as they sort of find a kindred spirit in each other as they both left their hometowns and thus they can sort of sympathize with leaving their old lives behind and making new ones in Elmore. It was also interesting to write about them and see them after the events of 'The Newcomer',**

 **-As for Neo's characters, they will likely play a large role in this story from here on out and may share the lead role in a few chapter with my characters.**


	29. Chapter 29: The Outage

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 29: The Outage

It was another wonderful day in Elmore, the cool breeze, and fresh air was a wonderful feeling as Jake stepped out of his father's car onto the sidewalk in front of the Springer residence.

"You've got all your stuff together right Jake, clothes, movies, toothbrush?" said Glenn rapidly rattling through the list of things Jake might have brought.

"Yes dad, everything is in order, do you have to worry about me every time I go over someone's house huh?" asked Jake, slinging his black duffle bag of stuff over his shoulder as Glenn gave a serious 'are-you-kidding' look. "Okay, okay, I'll be careful."

"That's all I wanted to hear, I'll see you soon then!" said Glenn waving at his son before driving down the street beeping the horn for one last fleeting goodbye.

Jake stood rooted to the same spot he had stepped out onto before he realized he shouldn't keep the Springers waiting as they were expecting him to be their guest for the night. Jake climbed the marble white walkway to front door passing the perfectly kept lawn. The coyote had to admit the Springer residence slight nicer than the Wiley residence. When Jake rung the bell the familiar tune played and he heard several rushed footsteps up to the door as it swung open to reveal none other than Kelsey.

"Hey Jake, it's good to see you, buddy," said the fennec fox pulling the coyote into a tight hug, which the coyote returned uncertainly as he found it hard to manage his things. "Uh, Kelsey?"

"Whoops," said Kelsey letting go and blushing slightly as Jake tried to make eye contact with her and her eyes quickly darted to her feet in response. "I probably shouldn't have been hugging you for so long."

"No, it's not that Kelsey, it's just that I need a place for this-this duffle bag," said Jake through gritted teeth as the bag cut into his shoulder.

"Here, let me help you with that," replied Kelsey, drawing closer to him and helping the dusty brown coyote place his duffle bag next to the bleach white sofa in the living room.

"Thanks for having me over Kelse, it's nice to be here again," said Jake looking around the interior of the house.

"It's a pleasure having you over. Anyways, I don't believe you've been up to my room, do you want to see it?" asked the amber fennec fox, smiling as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Uh sure Kelsey," said Jake somewhat nervously as the coyote followed her up the stairs taking his time as he looked at various picture frames, one being Kelsey surrounded by some of her friends like Evelyn, there was someone in the corner he couldn't quite make out as they were mostly in the corner, but something about them looked familiar...

"Hey, Jake are you coming?" asked Kelsey as Jake realized he was stopped on the landing.

"Yeah, but I was just wondering who this is in this photograph," asked Jake, as Kelsey walked down onto the landing an examined the photograph.

"Hmm... I don't think it's anyone I know," said Kelsey shrugging. "Ev might know, I'll ask her sometime."

"That's good to hear," said Jake as Kelsey subconscious took the coyote's paw in hers and led him to a light purple door with decorative patterns of golden paint on it. "Uh, Kelsey?"

"It's pretty right?" asked Kelsey as looked lovingly into Jake's eyes.

"Very much so," said Jake not bothering to look at the door as his green eyes met Kelsey's crystal blue ones. "Kelsey..."

"Jake..."

At that moment Philip Springer entered the hallway clapping the coyote on the back causing him to jerk forward and Kelsey by effect as they were still holding hands.

"Good to see you sport! How's Elmore Junior High going?" said Philip casually, unaware that he had just interrupted Jake and Kelsey's time together.

"Dad!" said Kelsey exasperated as the older badger just realized what he had must have done.

"Oh! I didn't realize you two were about to kiss," said Philip, as if it was a simple matter.

"DAD!" shouted Kelsey, blushing a bright pink as Jake turned a bright red.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," said Philip, backing away slowly.

This only made things more embarrassing as both blushed even brighter and Kelsey released Jake's paw in embarrassment upon realizing that she was still holding it.

"Let's just see my room shall we?" said Kelsey still embarrassed as she grabbed the coyote and quickly pulled him over the threshold before hurriedly shutting the door behind them. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

Kelsey flopped down onto her bed on her bed, sighing heavily. She was hoping to get some alone time with Jake she had to admit that both of them were continuously interrupted whenever they were going to have a romantic moment, but it was Elmore after all.

"Aren't you going to show me around?" asked Jake somewhat embarrassed he was in his crush's room as he leaned against the wall.

"Just give me a moment," said Kelsey in a defeated tone as she sat up on her bed, as she adjusted the collar to her plaid dress shirt.

Jake looked around, the room seemed befitting for Kelsey. There was a mixture of the various things that Kelsey enjoyed sprinkled throughout it. Plastered on the walls were various boy bands some of which Jake recognized against the pale purple background of her room. In one corner there was Kelsey's hockey gear piled up with a white and light blue jersey, pads, and a hockey stick which was customized with stickers and marker colors and symbols drawn on it. Against the back wall was a vanity table with a few makeup trays still out, but unused for the most part as Jake noted that she didn't wear that much makeup anyways and he was sure she was pretty enough without it.

Once again Jake found himself blushing and he quickly turned pretending to examine the many outfits Kelsey had in her closet. There was a wide array of different outfits; dresses, skirts, shirts and jeans, each cute in their own way. One, however, caught Jake's attention.

"That's the dress you wore to the Semi-Formal right?" said Jake noticing the light green and silver-trimmed dress.

"That's right," said Kelsey nodding still sitting on her bed. "That night was a logistical nightmare. You couldn't believe all the things my mom and dad were saying. 'What does he look like Kelsey?' 'Do you know what dress you'll wear Kelse?' 'Do you want to style your hair at all Kelsey?'"

Jake was surprised to hear Kelsey mimic the voices of her parents as she chuckled slightly, no doubt amused by the coyote's expression.

"I can sympathize with that, it was a bit of a crazy night after all," admitted Jake shrugging as he took a seat next to Kelsey on her baby blue sheets.

"Still, it was worth it, because I got the chance to know you better Jake," said Kelsey smiling as the coyote grinned back. "You're a good guy Jake."

"I appreciate that Kelsey, but come on, it's not only my personality that you like," said Jake winking slyly.

"Yes, I get it, you're cute as well," said Kelsey giggling. "I don't want to feed into your ego though Jake."

"I don't have an ego," said Jake chuckling as the amber fennec fox leaned against her pillows.

"Well, that's what you think."

"Fair enough then, what sort of stuff do you do for fun around here?"

"I'm glad you asked Jake," said Kelsey, getting from her bed as she walked over to the small tv in the room. "How big of a gamer are you?"

"I play from time to time, I've never been a hardcore gamer, though," admitted Jake shrugging as Kelsey thrust a controller into his palms.

"I'm going to test your gaming skills, we'll see how well you perform," said Kelsey grinning as she plopped back down on the bed.

"I like a challenge as much as any other person, but don't get too confident, I've been practicing," said Jake cracking his knuckles as he picked up his controller.

"This is going to fun," said Kelsey as she started the game. "Sure you don't want to chicken out?"

"Believe me, I know I can handle this," said Jake confidently as he readied his controller for the fight of his life.

* * *

"No, no!" shouted Jake laughing try to avoid Kelsey's characters attacks as he hopped around crazily.

"Will you just hold still? This will be over in no time if you just hold still," insisted Kelsey nonchalantly.

"Nope, I'm just going to keep doing this, besides, I only have one stock left," said Jake leaping over another one of Kelsey's attacks as she mashed her buttons furiously.

"You know what, I know a way to end this quickly," said Kelsey smirking and with a precise and skillful hit, she stunned Jake's character.

"What? What kind of move was that? Why the heck is he sleeping?" said Jake looking at Kelsey for answers.

"Stun attack, now, just sit there patiently as I finish up this match," on that note Kelsey grabbed Jake's character and spun him around throwing him off the map. "Hello and goodbye!"

Jake watched in horror as his character shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

"What?" said Jake, startled. "That's not fair, you cheated."

"Cheated?" asked Kelsey laughing. "This was pure skill, you just play like a bull in a China closet!"

"Hey!" said Jake nudging into the amber fennec fox playful as she just gave him a gentle push off the bed and he landed on the floor laughing before jumping back on her bed and using her pillow to try to hit her.

"Cut it out," said Kelsey giggle eventually pulling the pillow out of the coyote's grasp as she tried to playfully slap him Jake caught her arm stopping her and laughing just as hard as they once again came to a realization what was happening.

The fennec fox leaned in closer to the coyote eventually placing her head on his shoulder giving him a look of adoration. The coyote didn't shrug her off as he leaned in closer to her and they found themselves closely cuddled together.

"You know what, I've never quite known a guy like you Jake," said Kelsey, closing her eyes.

"And it's safe to say I've never known a girl like you Kelse, you're one of a kind."

They sat for several brief moments, enjoying each other's company as Kelsey cuddled up closer to Jake and wrapped her arms around him all the while resting her head on Jake's shoulder. Jake couldn't help but smile seeing her leaning up against him. And he suddenly remembered how he had talked to Evelyn and how the border collie had recommended that he should step up his game if he wanted to prove himself to Kelsey.

"Kelsey?" asked Jake as she stirred slightly from up against his shoulder.

"Hmm?" responded the fennec fox raising her head.

"Did you ever talk to Evelyn about how... I have a major crush on you?" said Jake, letting the words roll off his tongue.

"Quite a few times," said Kelsey placing her head back on Jake's shoulder and cuddling up against it. "She told me you had a crush on me the day before the Semi-Formal. I was afraid to tell you that I had feelings for you as well when I laid my eyes on you, I figured I'd strike up a casual conversation and get to know you as a friend first."

"So, you've always had a crush on me?" said Jake beaming at the fennec fox who was still resting her head on his shoulder.

"Since day one," said Kelsey confidently. "I never let it cause me to blunder up and I kept my cool. However, but I've always wondered if you were too afraid to ask me out first, which seemed to be the case."

"True enough," answered Jake blushing slightly. "But I sort of realized you had feelings for me as well after you helped get that muzzle off my face."

"And I commented how it covered too much of your handsome face?" said Kelsey snorting with amusement. "I remember that."

"Yep, that's the moment," said Jake smiling. "Hard to believe we've come such a long way since then."

"Agreed, hard to believe it's been about three months since then already," said Jake rubbing the back of his neck with his free paw as the other arm was being held onto by Kelsey in her tight embrace.

"Yep," said the amber fox as the coyote knew he should show just how much he cared about her. The dusty brown coyote leaned to the side kissing the amber fox softly on the forehead.

"It's a start," said a voice from the doorway. Both Kelsey and Jake looked up to where both of Kelsey's parents were standing in the doorway. The younger fennec fox blushed at her mother's comment.

"Mom! Dad! Do you seriously have to be here right now?" said Kelsey annoyed at the fact she hadn't noticed them.

"I agree," said Jake blushing just as brightly.

"Well, we just wanted to see if you two were going to be a couple, and now it looks like it's the case," said Nora smirking.

"It looks like our daughter has a boyfriend, and an excellent choice I might add," said Philip grinning.

Jake wasn't sure if he could be blushing more as he had just been witnessed to have kissed their daughter and the fact that Philip had called him an excellent choice for being Kelsey's boyfriend.

"Well, this is awkward," said Kelsey, being the first to speak. "Let's just go downstairs and forget about this."

But then the light flashed from the window against the inky purple sky as the sound of thunder reached them causing Kelsey to flinch. At the exact same moment, all the lights flickered and died leaving the three Springers and Jake in utter blackness.

"What's going on?" asked Jake looking around.

"Power outage, looks like we're going to be off the grid for some time," said Philip squinting through the blackness as if trying to detect where his daughter and Jake were.

"How long?" asked Jake as he tried to feel his way through the darkness as Kelsey grabbed his paw for security and the dusty brown coyote could feel her quivering slightly as she gripped his hand unnaturally tight.

"Is there going to be a storm?" asked Kelsey and Jake could tell that that was what was bothering her so much.

"We might get a bit off a storm," said the older badger slowly before stopping as Nora gave him a sharp look. "But I'm sure it will pass over us in no time."

"Okay," said Kelsey shivering slightly looking at the window just as another bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky causing her to gasp and redouble her grip on Jake's paw causing him to wince. "Oh, sorry Jake!"

"It's fine, just don't clamp down too tightly," said Jake as Kelsey loosened her grip on the coyote's hand as feeling returned to it. "That's better."

"Come on, let's go downstairs and wait out the storm," said Philip beckoning to them as all four of them travel downstairs.

Philip lit a candle at the table and all for of them sat illuminated in the orange glow of it the only source of light in the house as Nora raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why not use that LED lantern we have?" asked the older fennec fox as the older badger rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Uh, let's just say I forgot to get replacement batteries," said Philip rubbing the back of his neck. "Isn't this better though? We get heat and light."

"Philip," said Nora shaking her head as Philip gave a sheepish smile in response.

"What, it's the best we've got, in the meantime, who wants to hear a ghost story or something along those lines?" said Philip pulling up a chair at the table and sitting down.

"I would," answered Jake in a small voice causing Philip to look at him before leaning back in his chair.

"Where to begin," said Philip, scratching his five-o'clock shadow as he thought pensively. "I suppose it starts long ago, in a house not unlike this one. Every now and then an old traveler would come to the house to have a place a refuge. For the owners didn't realize that the house was built in the middle of an old graveyard..."

* * *

As Philip continued to tell the story Kelsey clung onto Jake's shoulder tightly, as she began shaking unsteadily.

"So you mustn't refuse the old traveler as a lightning strike signals his return to the realm of the living and for those who reject him the wrath of the Underworld will be unleashed upon them!" said Philip sinisterly as both Kelsey and Jake turned a pale white.

"Really Philip? You're scaring them," said Nora walking over and holding Jake and Kelsey in a tight embrace. "Don't worry if kids, it's just a favorite past time of his to scare the socks off of people. Besides, I'm here for you two and it's just a tall tale, right Philip?"

"Well, there is a bit of historical fact behind the tale," admitted Philip smoothed out his hair.

"Philip," said Nora sternly as the badger relented.

"Yes of course dear, don't worry, it's just a tall tale," said Philip, getting out of his seat. The badger quickly checked his watch before looking at both Jake and Kelsey. "Shoot it's getting late, it's about time for you two to be getting to bed."

"But the monster..."

"And the portal to the underworld.." stammered Jake and Kelsey one after the other.

"It's all fine, now just relax," said Philip placing a hand on their shoulders, anyways you should be getting into your pajamas and getting ready for bed, Jake we've got a spot on the sofa all set out for you."

"Thanks, Mr. Springer," said Jake finally shaking his fears off of himself as he headed over to his duffle bag and picked his stuff out of it. "You coming Kelsey?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute," stammered Kelsey as her eyes darted around the house at every shadow and dark corner.

"You feeling alright," asked Jake, looking at how pale she was and the sweat on her face.

"What? Yeah, yeah I'm fine," said Kelsey clammily as Jake understood that she must be still worried about the ghost story.

"You can go before me," said Jake stepping aside as the fennec fox rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her before slipping down the back of the wall as she wiped the sweat from her face.

"Just a ghost story, that's all," said Kelsey calming her nerves as she picked up her toothbrush cleaning her incisors before brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

The occasion flashes of lightning were not helping as they kickstarted her mind back to what had occurred to her earlier. The amber fennec fox shivered slightly letting her ears droop. It was going to be a long night if things kept up with the current storm and such.

"You okay in there?" asked Jake rapping on the door gently as the fennec fox emerged from the bathroom toothbrush still in hand. Some of the color to her face had returned, but she still had the same queasy and uneasy look crossing her face.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," muttered Kelsey nearly falling over as Jake quickly supported her.

"Maybe you should listen to some relaxing music to get your mind off the ghost story," said Jake loaning the fennec fox one of his ear buds. "Here."

Smooth rock played in the amber fox's ear causing her nerves to somewhat subside as she leaned down the wall. She felt exceptionally drowsy now as Jake kept her company before she fell asleep with her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Jake," said Philip abruptly walking over to the fennec fox as he picked her up in his strong arms. "Come on baby girl."

"Don't mention it, just doing my part for my girl," said Jake nodding as the badger smiled and carried his daughter back into her bedroom as Jake went into the bathroom to brush his teeth before heading downstairs to sleep on the sofa.

* * *

The flash of lightning woke Kelsey from her dreams as the sound of roaring thunder rumbled in the distance. The amber fox panicked leaping out of her bed and she raced down the stairs anywhere to be safe from that flash of lightning. She almost fell down the first landing in her panic, as she made her way to the downstairs into the living room. It took a second for her to register that her face was covered in sweat, her heart was pounding like a crazy drum solo and a knot in her throat kept her from breathing properly as she could only afford quick gasps.

"Can't sleep?" said a huddled form on the sofa as Kelsey walked over, her panic subsiding. His pillows were propped up against the couch and the blanket was still wrapped around his legs.

"Something like that," muttered Kelsey as Jake moved over to give her room on the sofa as she sat next to him. "It's so frightening out there though! I don't see how you can keep calm."

"Who says I'm calm?" asked Jake arching an eyebrow at her claim.

"You just seem very collected is all, what does the lightning frighten you as well?" asked Kelsey pulling her legs in close to her she shivered in fright at the renewed thunder.

"On the contrary, the lightning is not what's bothering me," said Jake shaking his head. "Sometimes I think of my future sibling, which is both a comfort and a concern for me."

"Shouldn't it be a happy moment for you to look forward to?" asked Kelsey as Jake looked at her.

"I suppose I should be, but I'm more concerned about what I must do to be an older brother. I have never been with a younger sibling from the start, now that that's changing I'm not sure I can grow into the role," admitted Jake sheepishly.

"What about that ghost story? Did it frighten you?" said Kelsey deciding to switch the topic.

"It unsettled me sure, but it was just a small scare is all, I didn't know you were afraid of lightning though Kelsey," said Jake pulling the blanket off himself and allowing Kelsey to sling it over her shoulders.

"It's just so abrupt, and frightening," added Kelsey as Jake nodded understanding.

"Not everyone can be above their fears, bravery isn't about not being afraid, it's acting despite your fears," said Jake wisely, before Kelsey gave him an impressed look. "At least that's what my mom says. Heck, I'm still afraid of water."

"Maybe I should teach you how to swim," said Kelsey, giving him a soft smile.

"That would be nice of you, Kelse," said Jake grinning back in response due to the fennec fox's adorable smile.

"So, since my parents are asleep, and we now have some privacy, I think it's about time we share our first kiss, wouldn't you?" teased Kelsey leaning in closer to him. "What do you say Snuffles?"

"I think we've run into enough interruptions," agreed Jake as he leaned in and Kelsey did the same.

And after a moment that felt like it had taken years to finally happen the coyote's and fox's lips meet. It was a passionate kiss, Jake could smell the scent of perfume from the fennec fox as she pulled him in closer by the front of his shirt. It felt like warm liquid sunshine was in Jake's chest filling every inch of him with a fuzzy relaxed feeling. There was no worry in the world that could ruin this feeling no cloudy day that could fog or drown it, not even Miss Simian's ludicrous homework assignments, not Tina Rex's demands to hand over his money or get pummel, not even Randal or his callous attitude...

The fennec fox and coyote finally broke away at this, though Jake still felt giddy and warm and fuzzy inside as Kelsey giggled at Jake's stricken look.

"I wish I had done that soon," giggled the fennec fox as she pulled away and got off the sofa. "Good night Jake."

"Good night Kelsey," whispered the coyote back as she walked out of sight before a knock on the door alerted Jake.

The coyote got up and answered it, being taken aback when he saw a towering figure with a black coat and a hood covering his face. Jake stammered as his mind flashed back to the old traveler in Mr. Springer's ghost story. The coyote shook unsteadily with fear as the man pulled back his hood, revealing a heavily scarred face.

"Is this the Springer residence?" asked the figure in a deep voice.

"Ye-yes," stammered Jake uncontrollably.

"Your power is back on, just thought I'd let you know," said the man pointing at the rain-drenched electrician symbol on his jacket.

"Oh, thank you," said Jake sighing in relief as the man left with a simple nod.

"He sure scared the socks of you," said Kelsey snickering from the staircase as Jake shook his head.

"That he did, that's the first and last time I'm listening to one of your dad's ghost stories."

* * *

 **It's official! Jake and Kelsey are now a couple! Isn't that cute? Anyways I just barely was able to upload this in time, and I hope this chapter was worth all the wait and hype that built up to it. As always, any and all reviews, favorites, or follows are very much appreciated. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The Truce- Part One_**

 **When extreme circumstances occur Jake and Randal are forced to team up and work together against a common foe.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I was going to have Jake and Kelsey get interrupted one last time, but I figured I've been holding off on this moment long enough and these two deserve to be a couple. :D**

 **-As for Randal, you'll finally start to get more solid answers about his past as opposed to teasers, still, I hope you find the tidbits interesting and maybe you'll be able to piece together the various clues that I'm leaving.**

 **-I know most of you are saying 'it's about time!' for Jake and Kelsey having their first kiss, and I agree, at least they're together now.**


	30. Chapter 30: The Truce- Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 30: The Truce- Part One

It was another day in Elmore as Jake Wiley picked up his lunch from Rocky giving him his payment and happy whistling a merry tune. It was like the dusty brown coyote was walking on sunshine. As he made his way to his usual spot passing a certain fennec fox on his way over, she winked at him and gave him a warm smile as he grinned confidently back at her.

"What's up with Jake? I've never seen him this happy," said Gumball, raising his eyebrows as the coyote made his way over.

"Well, rumor has it that he and Kelsey are a couple now," replied Darwin in a low voice.

"What?! How did I miss this sort of news?" asked Gumball somewhat outraged.

"Only you would be so clueless Gumball," said Grif, rolling his eyes and adjusting his helmet. "Besides I'm sure Jake didn't tell you that, because being the blithering idiot you are you'd embarrass him."

Grif dodged a spoonful of mashed potatoes that had been catapulted at him.

"You need to work on your aim," replied the griffin, snickering at the blue cat who crossed his arms defiantly.

"So I think we should get a straight answer about whether or not or coyote friend kissed Kelsey," said Gumball smirking as Grif frowned.

"Yeah, he'll totally be cool with that: 'Hey Jake, have you been snogging that girl you like? No pressure but we need you to answer.' That will be no trouble at all."

"Speaking of trouble, grouchy wolverine at eleven o'clock," said Darwin pointing towards Randal who was prowling away from their table a snarl still etched on his face.

"What happens at eleven o'clock?" asked Gumball checking his watch.

"Not time you dingbat, look over there," said Grif turning Gumball's head in the right direction for him to see what they were talking about.

"Oh, now I get what you mean," said Gumball catching on.

"I sometimes wonder if you have a brain in there, or if your head is actually made of solid concrete," said Grif disappointed.

"Come on dude," said Gumball shaking his head.

"Am I running out of good insult material? Who's going to make you feel bad about yourself now?" said Grif in a mockingly concerned tone.

"Very funny," said Gumball, rolling his eyes.

"Why thank you," said Grif, giving a small sarcastic bow.

"Hey guys, what's happening?" said Jake, taking a seat at the table and slinging his bag off his shoulder.

"So is it true," said Gumball abruptly, causing Grif to facepalm and Jake to blush.

"Gee, thanks for being so subtle Gumball," said Grif dryly as the coyote hid his embarrassment behind a book, though the coyote had managed to pick it upside down before realizing it and rectifying his error. "Forgive Gumball's impertinence."

"My what?" asked Gumball dimwittedly, as Grif gave him an annoyed look.

"It means intrusive behavior, keep your pointed nose out of Jake's business," said Grif critically.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you-"

"Enough both of you," said Darwin annoyed. "Will you two call it quits? All you do is bicker with each other."

"I'm just getting started," said Grif leaning back and he gave Gumball a bemused look while the blue cat quivered with rage.

"If I tell you I'm Kelsey's boyfriend will that be enough to keep you off my back the rest of the day?" asked Jake from behind his book.

"You've hooked up with Kelsey? Aw, that's adorable!" said Grif grinning before clapping him on the back.

"Thanks Grif, so we are planning to go on our first date sometime this week, speaking of which my feathered friend, Rhonda says there's a friend of hers that she thinks she will be your perfect match," said Jake causing the griffin to gag on his drink.

"What? No way, this griffin is flying solo, I'm going to stick with being a bachelor," said Grif coughing as Gumball snickered. "What's so funny screwball?"

"Getting cold feet?"

"No, I'm just uninterested, besides, I don't want to date some uptight academy girl," said Grif scoffing.

"Come on, you trust Rhonda don't you? You two seemed to strike it up well after all, who knows you might actually like this person," said Jake causing Grif to relent and give a small sigh.

"I'm probably just going to meet another emo-freak-Carrie look alike," muttered Grif sighing as a certain ghost girl teleported to their table at that very moment temporarily taking possession of Grif's body forcing him to slap himself. "Most uncool."

"Well, don't talk about other people behind their backs," said the ghost girl flipping her hair up as Grif raised an eyebrow.

"She's not going to go into an emo rage is she?" asked Grif turning to Darwin.

"Grif... I suggest you run..." said Jake looking at Carrie, who's pale face had turned a violent shade of pink.

"I can do better than that, anyways, I'm out!" said Grif as his wings opened up as he took off as the ghost girl followed in rapid pursuit of him.

"Grif certainly has a way with people," said Gumball shaking his head. "I wonder what a confrontation between him and Randal would pan out."

"Let's just make the assumption that it would end badly," said Jake grimacing at the thought.

"Has Randal been giving you any trouble recently?" said Gumball looking at the sole corner the wolverine occupied during lunch.

"Not as much as before, but occasionally he'll leer at me or make some comment about me being a runt, I've become accustomed to it, it doesn't phase me," said Jake shrugging as he dug into his lunch.

"He just needs to take a chill pill, like Ivan, he eventually get on the right path," said Gumball. "Just give him time."

"It seems like something haunts him, like why does he have those scars? And more importantly, what turned him so callous and cold?" asked Jake.

"So Randal wasn't always moody and provocative? How do you know?"

"Remember that time I was possessed by that malevolent spirit?" said Jake dropping his food back on his plate as he was more focused on talking.

"Anger right?" inquired Darwin scratching his chin.

"That's right, when Randal and I were fighting we formed some sort of mental bridge and some of our memories were shared and I saw bits and pieces of his past," said Jake, sheepishly.

"Wow," replied the brothers in unison before Gumball questioned him further.

"Could you make any sense of it? And how much did you find out?"

"Yeah, it was like I was experiencing everything Randal was feeling," said Jake frowning as he tried to remember what it was like. "I got some bits and pieces of his past, but not too much solid evidence. I'm going to ask him more about it this afternoon."

"No no no, Jake, bad idea. Randal hates talking about his past, period. If you try to ask him, you're basically asking to swallow half of your own teeth," said Gumball warningly.

"I have to know the truth about Randal, maybe I can help him," said Jake looking pleadingly from both Gumball and Darwin. "Come on, we have to try to help guide him on the right path!"

"I think it's best to keep our distance for the time being," said Gumball grimacing as Jake sighed in defeat.

"Alright."

* * *

The chirping and songs of the birds from the treetops and the hazy sun shining down on Jake as he walked home made him smile. The weather was something to enjoy with spring finally melting away the last of the forgotten patches of winter snow. The dusty brown coyote whistled a merry tune as he thought about his date with Kelsey on Friday, which would certainly be one of the highlights of his weekend. The thing that bothered him the most was that he hadn't talked to Randal, but there would other days to talk to the wolverine to get to know him and perhaps give him some consolation. However, things changed as Jake noticed three shady figures at the end of the street. There was a bulky, heavily built grizzly bear, a small but pointy-toothed gremlin, and a robot with a red visor who quietly observed him.

"Got a moment kid?" asked the grizzly the second the coyote walked past them leaving his back exposed to them. Immediately feeling unsafe, the coyote quickly turned to face them.

"Yeah, what's up?" asked Jake, gripping his backpack tightly as they approached him.

"What's with the sudden rush, going somewhere important or something?" asked the grizzly attempting to give a friendly smile.

"Uh, I just missed my bus is all, I'm walking home is all," said Jake being truthful as the small gremlin poked his head around from behind the grizzly's leg to get a better look.

"Oh, really now?" said the grizzly smirking. "The name's Aaron by the way, Aaron Cutler, and you my friend look lost."

"No, I know where I'm going," said Jake confidently as Aaron put his arm around Jake's shoulder as if he were treating like a friend.

"Well, in places like these, one can't be too careful, what's your name son?" said Aaron keeping Jake under his arm.

"That's none of your business, now if you don't mind I should be going," said Jake, he was starting to like Aaron less and less.

"And, what makes you think you're going anywhere?" said Aaron. "Blockbuster!"

The robot seemed to get the cue as Aaron let go of him. The ghost white robot arms extended outwards as an armored plating covered them in a thick titanium shell. Before Jake could even get his guard up the robot slammed his metal fist into Jake's chest sending him flying at least ten feet as he hit the ground hard, sliding several feet before skidding to a dusty halt.

"Just a word to the wise, my friend doesn't play nicely," admitted Aaron as the powerfully built robot clomped over to him making the ground shake slightly as Jake got up clutching his ribs in discomfort.

"Blockbuster? I think the name Bonebuster would be more appropriate," said Jake dryly, as his chest ached immensely feeling at if the encounter might have cracked a few of his ribs as his chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe from the big hit he had taken.

The robot mercilessly pounded Jake on the side of his head causing his ears to ring loudly as he took several more hits sending him to the ground as the robot looked down at him with his unsettling red visor. The robot was about to hit him again when his hand fell off. The robot looked at the stump where his hand had been previously been and Jake would have expected to see a look of shock on his face if he didn't have the expressionless visor.

"Why don't you buzz off before things get ugly?" said a familiar growl that Jake immediately recognized as he tried to lift his heavy head to see his savior.

"Unexpected, I never imagined you would be rushing to people's aid after what happened last time," said Aaron as if somewhat amused.

"No, I'm here to settle old scores," admitted Randal as a brief tussle broke out and the voices scattered leaving only Randal's panting the only sound on the street.

The dusty brown coyote looked up at the charcoal gray wolverine as he walked up to him, a look that was a mixture of spite and sympathy crossed the scarred face. Then the wolverine offered out a paw for the coyote to take as he helped pull him back to his feet.

"I told you, you should be more careful around Elmore, it isn't all sunshine and bunnies," said Randal shaking his head as Jake brushed himself off, feeling his jaw for any damage.

"Yeah, thanks for the advice," said Jake dryly as he massaged his jaw.

"You're welcome," said Randal rolling his eyes. "Let's get going coyote."

"Let's? As in us?" said Jake, raising his eyebrows. "I thought you'd just bugger off again."

"Someone has to teach you how to hold your own because you've only been a punching bag so far," scoffed Randal.

"Wait, are you saying that you're going to teach me how to fight?" said Jake surprised at how straightforward the wolverine was being.

"Finally, you're managing to open your ears and listen to for once. Looks like you can be taught after all," said the gray wolverine snarkily.

"Though I'm not exactly questioning what's going on, who were those three guys, and more importantly how did you know them?" asked Jake causing the wolverine to stop in his tracks.

"Why are you asking?" said the wolverine glancing back at him his face cast in shadow from the trees on the block.

"It just seems like you and Aaron have some history is all," said the dusty brown coyote nervously.

"You really have no idea, do you Jake?" said Randal, his tone darkening. "He's the one who gave me, this."

Randal indicated to the scars cut painfully into his flesh and Jake shiver in fright. To think that Aaron had scarred Randal that badly, it was truly unsettling. But this was the first straight answer Jake had gotten from Randal about his past.

"So, you know those three?" said Jake trying to keep the conversation normal.

"You already met Aaron Cutler and Blockbuster. That small little gremlin goes by the name Feral, they're a band of jerks and monsters," growled Randal. "I had a fair share of run-ins with them when I was younger and at Elmore Boarding School For Troubled Youths."

"So that's why you developed your callous demeanor, so you could protect yourself from them?" asked Jake his curiosity getting the better of him.

"No," answered Randal not meeting his eye.

"So why hasn't Aaron gotten a stricter punishment for scarring you?" inquired Jake as the wolverine shook his head.

"That's about the strictest treatment he could have gotten without being sent to juvie," said Randal darkly. "Though I got into enough trouble to get thrown in there with him. Though eventually, the boarding school figured I was causing enough trouble for them to deal with so they transferred me off to Elmore Junior High."

"And then we met, yeah, I get the big picture now," said Jake nodding as Randal continued to walk with him.

The coyote stopped as they reached a large building with a bright neon green sign with the flashing letters saying 'Crag's Gym'. The condition of the place didn't look so bad, but it looked as if it had been used often enough to get a little wear and tear. The white concrete made it easy to spot from the other less interesting buildings on the street.

"We're here, come on, I'll show you around," said Randal beckoning him in as they enter the gym there was an impressive display of benches, punching bags, and other workout machines.

"So are these things going to help teach me how to defend myself? Sweet!" said Jake eagerly taking a punch at the large cylindrical, tan bag in front of him sending it backward due to the force.

"Oh dear," said Randal in a deadpanned tone as the bag swung back to where it was originally hitting the coyote in the face just as hard. This sent him stumbling back toward where Randal was sitting on a bench as the wolverine stopped him with one paw.

"You alright kid?" asked Randal as the coyote shook off the hit.

"How long with this training thing take?" asked Jake his head throbbing.

"That depends on how fast you learn and master this," said Randal, picking up several small cones. "Now here's what you have to do..."

* * *

There was a small training course of sorts that had been assembled by Randal taking up a small portion of the gym.

"So this is how I'm going to train?" asked Jake skeptically as the charcoal gray wolverine stroked his chin.

"Patience," insisted Randal as he picked up a stopwatch. "On my mark... go!"

Jake had never moved so fast in his like as he tested his strength as each station as he attempted to bench press a heavy set of weights. However, the bar in his paws was heavy and was bearing down on him with an unbelievable amount of force causing his muscles to cramp up in exasperation in an attempt to move the solid weight. He was just about to place it back on its stand when it very suddenly dropped down on him pressing down on his lungs causing him to wince in pain from his still bruised ribs.

"Today you failed, tomorrow you shall try again," said Randal checking his watch.

"Gee, thanks for spotting for me," said Jake sarcastically as the wolverine lifted the bar off the coyote simply as if it was no heavier than a paperweight.

"You're welcome, now if you're quite done, you might want to start thinking about getting home, it's getting a bit late," said Randal, picking up the coyote's bag and tossing it to him.

"Thanks Randal, are you coming along?" inquired the dusty brown coyote as the wolverine gave him a funny look.

"What? No, I've got to build up my stamina. Anyways, I'll catch you tomorrow Jake, if you bother to show up." said Randal waving goodbye before he turned his attention to pumping iron, leaving the coyote alone as he looked at the wolverine. The coyote quietly wondered if he could guide Randal down the right path to redemption, after all, there was no shame in trying. He and Randal had their differences in the past sure, but the wolverine seemed more at ease, more affable and maybe he could now help him. Only time would tell...

* * *

The coyote readied himself for another day on the training course. Fortunately, Randal had waived the fees to work out at the gym, giving him some one on one time with his rival and new found trainer.

"You ready for this?" asked Randal somewhat uneasy after the events of yesterday.

"I can do it, no trouble at all," replied the coyote getting into the spot he needed to be.

"If you say so, hopefully, you'll get it done right this time," said Randal crossing his arms as the coyote lined up, getting rigid as he attempted to hold the weight on his back.

Once again like all the previous times, the coyote failed due to strain. Next on the roster was a sparring match with Randal. The dusty brown coyote padded himself with a light blue helmet and wrapped his forearms in cloth as the charcoal gray wolverine placed on his own gloves and helmet.

"Let's see how far you've progressed, shall we?" asked Randal as the wolverine quickly threw the first few punches keeping Jake on guard as the two encircled each other like wolves.

The coyote struck back attempting to get around the wolverine's guard and he took a powerful blow to his right cheek because of this numbing his jaw though the helmet had done its job of reducing the force.

"So, what has got you so insistent to train me? Change of heart or something?" asked the coyote attempting to get the wolverine's mind distracted as his opponent swung at his missing before drawing back quickly.

"I just don't think you should be helpless is all, my protégé," said Randal smirking as the coyote gave him a startled look.

"So does that mean you're coming to look out for me and almost see me as someone you can teach?" asked Jake surprised, this, however, gave Randal an opening and he quickly rolled into the coyote taking him down fairly gently considering though he was knocked off the mat and had Randal's knee pressing against his face as an outcome of this.

"You get distracted too easily Jake, focus and you could achieve so much more, otherwise you're not setting the bar high enough to measure your own potential," said Randal giving him a hand up as the coyote balanced himself.

"Thanks for the pep talk," said the dusty brown coyote shaking himself off the wolverine nodded.

"Don't mention it, just be ready for anything, Aaron and his goons aren't going to make things easy on us," responded Randal looking at the coyote and he thought he saw a look of sorrow of sorry in his eyes, but this quickly disappeared as Randal shook his head. "Anyways, you should get a move on with your other activities."

Jake pushed himself harder than any day previously as he wanted to get even with Aaron, but he wouldn't become hot-headed or irrational over this, he just had to get things right. The wolverine looked on patiently. He swung at the punching bag hitting with a flurry of blows and a kick only for it to swing back at him and hit him square in the face this time.

"Failed."

He attempted to balance himself and do a handstand on one arm as Randal had instructed only to fall over.

"Failed."

For Jake's next attempt he tried to use the function trainer as he pulled furiously at the handles only to get pulled back into the machine quite painfully as he bounce into it as his arms were nearly pulled from their sockets as well.

"So failed."

"Failed!"

"F-A-I-L-E-D."

Jake gave it his all on his last run, dodging in darting past cones, pushing himself to the limits on the machines, this made his body fatigued and worn as he pushed on, his strength coming from his own will to succeed. He finally got to the barbells pushing them up again and again until his arms finally gave way due to fatigue and they almost hit him in the face before the charcoal gray wolverine grabbed them and lowered them slowly to the ground.

"And failed, but you've improved quite a bit, sure you're not as tough as me, but you've got a lot more muscle to you than you did before," said Randal smiling. "Even if your muscles are minuscule bumps."

"Very funny, so what have you got for me to do now?" said Jake rubbing his sore forearms. "And I have to know, are you willing to consider being my friend Randal?"

"Are you kidding Wiley? I don't fit into your group of friends. And I don't really agree with the company you keep," said the wolverine before changing the subject quickly. "So, have you got anything else you want to talk about?"

"No, not really," responded the coyote shrugging as he tried to think of meaningful conversation topics. "Well, how's your home life?"

The charcoal gray wolverine seemed to recoil slightly at the question. Randal took several seconds to answer the question. "Well, it's alright, I mean I can complain about anything."

The way the wolverine sounded was slightly off and Jake raised an eyebrow at this not questioning him further about this as he decided it would be best if changed the topic of conversation to something else.

"So have you got any hobbies outside of school?" asked Jake curiously as the wolverine shrugged.

"I've never been a club person, though I guess you could say working out and fixing things are my favorite hobbies," said Randal shrugging as the coyote pressed on.

"What kind of things do you like to fix?"

"My bike most of the time, though there have been times when I've helped work on the family car before," replied the wolverine as he picked up the duffle bag holding his gym things over his shoulder. "Want to continue this talk on the way home?"

"Sure, lead the way Randal," responded Jake giving the wolverine a warm smile.

The wolverine nodded and guided them through the gym and opened the door, letting the cool evening dew touch the coyote's face as he walked outside holding the door of the gym open as the wolverine stepped outside.

"Aren't days like these always worth it to be outside?" said the coyote cheerfully as he stretched his arms out.

The wolverine seemed more on edge and tense as he looked around surveying the area until they were finally out of that part of town did he seem to relax a bit.

"You seemed a bit tense," said Jake as Randal finally eased back.

"Yeah, I was just expecting Aaron to show up," admitted Randal rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get you worried."

"It's cool, I'm glad you have my back, Randal," said Jake grinning before a burning question entered his mind as they reached the front of Jake's house. "So where do we stand now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like where do we stand? Are we friends, enemies, or acquaintances?" asked Jake rattling off the opinions on his paw.

"It's more like an agreement that is mutually beneficial to both of us, as Aaron is our shared enemy, but besides that after we even our scores things will go back to normal," said Randal shaking his head.

"So back to being rivals, huh?"

"I guess..." replied Randal somewhat dishearten.

"We really don't have to do that, speaking of which I have something for you," said the coyote digging through his bag until he found what he was looking for. It was a small gift wrapped in blue paper and with a green bow on it. "Go ahead and open it."

The wolverine took the box that the coyote was holding and began unwrapping the gift.

"I know it's not much, but I couldn't think of what else to get you," said Jake shifting from foot to foot nervously as Randal picked up a silver and black watch from the box.

"Uh thanks, I sort of needed one of these," admitted Randal sheepishly as he put it on.

"Your welcome Randal, so, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Hopefully," replied Randal thankful of the gift the coyote had gotten him. The coyote made his way up onto the porch as the wolverine figured he should say something. "Stay safe out there Wiley."

The dusty brown coyote was on the top step when he stopped and looked around at the wolverine who had buried his paws in his pockets.

"You too Randal, goodnight," replied Jake at the wolverine gave one last wave before making his way back to his home.

* * *

 **Jake and Randal teaming up and getting along, yep it just happened. As for my beta situation my new beta and I are still getting our own things together and maybe by the next chapter he'll be ready. I may take a brief hiatus from this story to compile new ideas and to get ready for my mid-year exams, but I'll be back in no time if I do take a hiatus. Feel free as** **always to leave any and all reviews, and favorites, or follows are very much appreciated. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.** **  
**

 ** _Next chapter- The Truce- Part Two_**

 **Jake and Randal have to find common ground as they work as a team against Aaron. Will the wolverine's urge to even the score with the grizzly get in the way of the coyote's partnership with his rival?**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Yep, those scars Randal received were in fact from Aaron, though the exact details and other factors will be revealed in time.**

 **-This is one of the first chapters you guys and gals got into Randal's past, I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about him, even if it was only a few tidbits.**

 **-The main highlight of this chapter was Randal and Jake's shifting roles as they are almost borderline friends in this chapter, however this will obviously won't last as Randal's somewhat cold demeanor and other factors will cause this to end.**


	31. Chapter 31: The Truce- Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 31: The Truce- Part Two

The dimly lit kitchen and low rumble of the t.v. was what Jake noticed as he entered the house. Both his parents were at the oak kitchen table discussing things in an undertone. Glenn was slicking back his hair while his mother was looking over what had to be more information about the arrival of his sibling, or something along those lines. His mother looked up from the table into her son's face who just shrugged as he placed his backpack on the coach and slumped up against it.

"Hey there son, long day?" asked Glenn as Jake flopped back in his seat.

"Yep," said Jake wincing slightly as his bruised body protested at even hitting the soft cushions.

"Come over here Jake, let me get a good look at you," said Brooke suspiciously as the coyote obeyed and moved off the couch.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me, working on the crib," said Glenn pulling what looked like assembly instructions, tucking them in his pocket before leaving the son and mother to themselves.

"So sport, what after school activities did you partake in today?" asked Brooke happily as Jake kept at a distance to stay out of the light.

"Uh, well about that, promise you won't freak out," said Jake cautiously stepping into the light to reveal his somewhat battered and disheveled appearance.

"What happened?" asked Brooke face palming the second she caught a good look of her son.

"Well, you see I was sparring with a friend of mine, and he sort of got carried away in the moment..." said Jake trailing off as his mother scoffed angrily.

"Bathroom, now."

Without another word Jake followed his mother as she led him into the room before an icy cool washcloth was slapped over his face.

"Uh mom?" asked Jake shocked at the chilly rag as his mother forcibly cleaned the sweat off of his face, causing the coyote some discomfort as she rubbed his fur vigorously. "Is this really necessary?"

"Just hold still," insisted the gray wolf as she continued to wipe his face down. "There, that's better. For once you're looking better than before."

"Oh, come on, I don't look that bad," said the dusty brown coyote, messing up his hair to prove a point.

"You wear the same outfit every day, someday that thing has to be washed," said Brooke sassily and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Well, now that we've got that all dealt with you should get started on your homework, you have anything difficult that you need help with?"

"I think things will go fine, it isn't that much," said Jake shrugging.

"That's good news, maybe afterwards you can help your father finish up putting the crib together."

"Already?" said Jake looking into his mother eyes. "How soon-"

"You still have a few months left before the new kid arrives, your father is just in a mad dash to prepare things. And when that happens, he sometimes has difficulty following the instructions."

A loud thunk resounded with some dark muttering from Glenn the next room over who was no doubt having trouble with the task as the whine of the drill that followed it sounded as if Glenn had taken a few missteps.

"So the guest room is being converted into the new Wiley's room?" asked Jake curiously.

"We planned on having a room for your sibling ahead of time, so I think we're set."

"Looks like you thought of everything," replied Jake dryly.

"That we did," said Brooke as she leaned against the cabinet patiently. "So how exactly did this little sparring session get out of hand?"

"Well, it sort of all started with Randal sort of starting to train me..."

* * *

"And that's how it happened," said Jake bringing the story to a close as his mother raised an eyebrow.

"So you have sort of a mutual trust formed with him, why have you come to an agreement when you always tend to disagree?" inquired Brooke carefully, rubbing her son's fur affectionately as he sighed.

"I want to give Randal a second chance and I think he may find his way to redemption, if he let's me help him that is."

"Not everything is easy Jake, but from the way I hear it, it sounds like Randal could use someone to confide in. I think when he's ready he will turn over a new leaf," said Brooke warmly giving the coyote a smile.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate the advice," replied Jake gratefully.

The older wolf let the coyote free from her embrace. "I'm always here when you need me."

The coyote gave one last fleeting smile as his mother left the room no doubt to help Glenn with the instructions for assembling the new crib. Jake let the words repeat again and again in his head. Maybe things would be different.

* * *

Thursday was a calm but dreary day as the overcast weather made it fairly gloomy and dull. The bus stop was really quiet even with the addition of Grif who was doodling something on a scrap piece of paper.

"Yo, Jake, what's been holding you up the past several days, Gumball and Darwin keep trying to meet with you and you're proving to be just as elusive as William," said Grif finally breaking the silence.

"I've been hanging out with Randal," said Jake shrugging. This response left Grif absolutely dumbfounded.

"Hanging out with Randal, like you weren't pressured into it were you? The ice cold wolverine that makes Sarah look like a sunny day?" said Grif bewildered. "Pardon me asking, but have you gone mental?"

"It's fine Grif, Randal says it's only temporary," said Jake hoping to reassure him.

"I think it's rather risky, I just hope you know what you're doing," said Grif carefully.

"Don't worry feather head, he'll be fine," said a familiar growl as Grif spun only to see Randal right behind him.

"Agh!" said Grif jumping in fright. "Please don't do that."

"My bad, just wanted to see how you all are doing, besides I figured it's time for some quality bonding time," said Randal leering at the griffin.

"Great," muttered Grif as the wolverine messed up his hair and feathers leaving the griffin slightly disgruntled.

"So what did I miss?" asked Randal walking to where the coyote was waiting.

"Nothing much, just the calm before the storm," replied Jake calmly folding his arms behind his back.

"I hear you, I just hope we don't actually run into Aaron, but knowing him he's going to find us eventually. He always goes around looking for a fight," said Randal as he crossed his arms looking towards the horizon.

"What sets you two apart? I mean, you're very much alike, pardon me for saying that," said Jake quickly as the charcoal gray wolverine shot a glare at him.

"We're not alike," growled Randal, his brow furrowed as he continued to stare into the horizon.

"I think you are in a way. I believe that you allowed Aaron to drag you down the same path that he decided to walk down," said Jake, thoughtfully as Randal bitterly spat on the ground.

"You don't know Aaron as well as I do, he loves pitting people against each other, the trouble he's caused me," lamented Randal with a growl.

"I think you're like Aaron thanks to your gruff-"

"And ornery," said Grif adding to the conversation as Randal gave him a stern look. "Yes sir, shutting up now."

With that the griffin held his tongue for good measure, as the wolverine tried to focus on other things other than Aaron.

"-I believe you're not as bad as Aaron though. You may act like you don't care, but I know underneath you still do Randal and that makes all the difference," said Jake concluding as the wolverine pretended to pay no attention to him.

"I have a sneaking suspicion he's not listening to you Jake," said Grif, a bit amused by the coyote's effort to speak to the wolverine.

"Sorry what, Grif? I wasn't paying attention, what did you say?" asked Jake rhetorically as the griffin shook his head.

"I walked into that one. Then again it isn't surprising that you're a little hard of hearing after that Fourth of July incident," said Grif, chuckling at the memory.

"Do you mean the time we did a bit of 'aerial reconnaissance' and nearly got hit by fireworks? Because yeah, I remember that."

"We still managed to turn out fine in the end."

"The singe marks on my rear end say otherwise."

"Yeah, that was a little close for comfort the more that I think about it, but I swore they weren't supposed to launch the fireworks until half-an-hour later."

"At least the show was worth it when we were out of the projectiles' path."

"Good point."

After this exchange between Jake and Grif the coyote looked back at Randal who was still silently contemplating something.

"Don't take it personal, Randal just behaves that way. You seem to have got through to him a bit," whispered Grif giving a hopeful smile to the dusty brown coyote as he shrugged.

* * *

The school day went through the usual grind and Jake found himself given enough homework from both Mr. Small and Miss Simian that his backpack had difficulty closing, forcing him to carry several of his folders underneath his arm to spare some room in his already crammed bag. The coyote tried to manage his things as Grif, Gumball and Darwin left the classroom each talking amongst themselves.

"Do you think all this homework was a tad bit excessive?" asked Darwin shuffling through the many papers still gripped in his hands.

"I can tell you I'm going to find a quick way to get all this stuff done," said Grif grinning in amusement as both Gumball and Darwin looked at him interested.

"Really, what's your strategy for tackling all this work?" spouted Gumball as Grif smoothed back his feathers.

"Just put these papers in the shredder and let the machine handle the rest," replied the griffin simply. "I'll say it was an unfortunate accident."

"That's like saying your dad ate your homework," replied Gumball shaking his head.

"Our dad actually ate our homework once remember?" said Darwin as Gumball shook his head.

"I forgot about that."

"That must have been quite the tale," said Grif with a smirk.

"You have no idea..."

"Well, Jake are you coming?" asked Darwin abruptly as the coyote continued to tamper with his locker.

"I'll be hanging out with Randal today, so I'll catch up with you later."

Gumball and Darwin's faces shifted to shock as Grif raised his eyebrow uneasily.

"Just relax, and I'll catch you later, I promise," said Jake reassuringly as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. His friends maintained their weary looks however and he just sighed as he walked off to meet with Randal.

Jake arrived on time, leaning against the lockers waiting for any sign of the wolverine from a flash of his charcoal gray fur to an indication that he was coming. Suddenly Jake was almost knocked off his feet as a mass of gray fur slide into him stopping as Randal shook his head.

"Sorry about that kiddo, didn't mean to hit you."

"Uh, that's a first," said Jake dryly as the wolverine looked at him, somewhat abashed before clearing his throat.

"Anyways, I think we should get going, what have you got in mind for today, I'll do my best to teach it to you," said Randal sincerely.

"Well, I was actually hoping we could go to the park, play some catch, relax and get to know each other," said Jake brightly as the wolverine gave a look that could only be described as utter terror.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea, I'm not that popular of a person, especially in public," admitted Randal rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"How so, all the trouble you cause in this school?" replied Jake indicating to the walls around them as Randal nodded.

"That and a few other reasons," said Randal solemnly as Jake nudged him with his elbow.

"You okay?"

"Just a lot to process is all. You don't know how long I've been bottling up all this rage against Aaron inside of me, but the more likely our next encounter becomes, the more I feel like a kid back in elementary school," said Randal his expression sorrowful.

"We never truly leave our old selves behind, our memories are what make us unique, and there's no shame in that Randal."

"I suppose you're right about that," said Randal giving the coyote a weak smile before he shook the look off his face. "Well we're not going to be able to get anywhere if we're all sentimental so let's get a move on, I suppose we can hang out in the park for a bit, but we shouldn't dottle."

"If you say so then," said Jake slightly disheartened at the fact he wasn't able to hear what was troubling his rival.

* * *

The park in Elmore had the first bright beams of spring sunshine glinting off the surface of the lake making it shine as bright as a diamond. The occasional chirp or squawk of a bird was all to be heard in the undisturbed area of town. The budding leaves on the maple trees gave the perfect sense that winter was over but a heavy wind blew through the trees continuing to mess up the coyote's already untidy hairdo and ruffling the wolverine's short crew cut. It wasn't all that long ago that the two had been on the lake before where a small tussle had broken out between them. It was obvious that Randal was thinking deeply about this as he plucked a stone from the shore before skipping it across the clear blue water watching it bounce until it disappeared.

"Not too long ago we were here before, I was learning how to ice skate with Kelsey, while you... well you were doing what you always do," stated Jake breaking the silence as Randal shrugged.

"I usually reflect on what I've done here, it's away from all the hustle and bustle of downtown and it's far quieter than any other place I know of," said Randal. "Listen Jake, I just want to apologize for all those tough times I've put you through, my own sorrow and grief led me to a path where I didn't care about anything or anyone. I chose to isolate and distance myself from everyone. But you were a wildcard that was thrown into the equation that I didn't expect."

"And what did I do?" asked Jake curious on where this conversation was heading.

"You offered me friendship, something no one had done in a long time, granted I did reject it, though I appreciate the thought," said Randal nodding.

Jake spent the next few moments thinking of what to say as he looked into the depths of the crystalline pool.

"How wonderful the little coyote and the wounded beast are having some bonding time together," hissed a familiar voice that made Jake's hairs stand up on end as he turned and found Aaron underneath the trunk of a large maple tree.

"You," snarled Randal, his face contorting with rage to almost look inhuman.

"Randal, calm yourself, we'll handle this together," said the coyote patiently while the grizzly approach them, his eyes burning with fiery rage.

"What a disappointment Randal, allying yourself with this whelp, he's not even fit enough to tie his own boot laces."

"He's still better company than you and your lackeys Aaron, tell me, are you dealing with us personally or do you expect to fight us three on two again?" said Randal glancing at his coyote companion who shrugged.

"Seeing how there is only one of you, I don't think it will be any trouble," admitted Aaron sneering at the dusty brown coyote who was looking cautious but prepared as he fiddled with something in his palm.

"He's more skillful than you think and sometimes, it's the smallest factor that can topple giants like yourself," said Randal confidently. "I'll let you have the first shot Aaron, I can handle whatever you dish out."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of!" roared Aaron as he lunged at the wolverine and the two clashed with all their might. Randal quickly sidestepped as the grizzly delivered an onslaught of blows toward him. The coyote prepared to rush into the fray as Randal weaved past Aaron's heavy attacks only taking a few hits. Suddenly a lurch and stinging sensation filled his leg.

"Such a little coyote, so delicate!" said the little gremlin gnawing at his foot.

"Ouch! Alright, bite this!" said Jake picking up the maliciously little gremlin and kicking him several yards sending him rolling and disoriented, but otherwise unharmed. "That's the least he deserves."

Randal pressed his advantage, slamming his body's full force into the grizzly who snarled and swiped at him. The wolverine responded with a powerful uppercut sending spit flying from Aaron's lower jaw. The grizzly stumble back stunned.

"I'm impressed, that actually hurt," said Aaron examining his face for bruises.

"That's not all I improved on!" said Randal ferociously as he used his elbow to bludgeon him in the nose sending hot blood trickling down his nose.

"Argh!" snarled the grizzly wiping the blood off. "I'm going to tear you apart!"

"I'd like to see you try, or are you afraid of me as you don't have anyone to back you up?" growled Randal pounding him in the chest sending him flying backwards into the mud.

"How about we change that?" said the grizzly wiping the muck off his clothes. "Get him Feral!"

Without warning Randal felt the grimy and sharp claws of the little gremlin digging into his neck as he snarled in response trying to tear the little pestilence off his back.

"Get off you dirty little monkey!" said Randal ripping the small frame of his back before burying him underfoot before the heavily built bear head butted him causing his head to spin off its hinges forcing him to his knees.

"Just as stupid as ever, you never learn do you?" said Aaron taking the opportunity to pound the wolverine in the face causing his scars to reopen painfully. "Didn't learn when I gave you those scars on that ugly mug of yours did you?"

"I learned. I learned to shut things out and how to even the score, just like I'm doing now," snarled the wolverine as he hit Aaron in the gut causing him to double over and collapse, his will to fight drained.

"No, no more," pleaded Aaron, as Randal let out a grin of triumph. He had bested the beast that had scarred him. Yet he didn't feel any better about the matter as he turned his attention to look at where the coyote was being pummeled by the gremlin and expressionless robot.

The wolverine rushed towards them sliding against the ground as he hit into the gremlin sending him into a mud pile and he tugged out several of the robot's wires in the back of his visor as the light faded from it as the robot swung wildly at thin air.

Jake looked stunned as Randal helped him up. "We're not out of the woods yet!"

"Thanks for the assist," grunted Jake getting up gingerly and slowly moving.

"I told you I'd have your back," said Randal as the coyote wiped muck out from under his eyes.

"I didn't believe you at first. Do you think we should make a break for it?" questioned Jake as Randal shook his head.

"I say we finish this," replied the wolverine cracking his knuckles eagerly.

With that the coyote took the ground behind the wolverine getting into his stance as he dodged and weaved past the misguided swings of Blockbuster as he took aim at the robot's exposed joints.

"Here's one for you!" said Jake flipping over Blockbuster and yanking several more wires from the robot's battery pack before kicking him forward allowing Randal to pound him into the ground.

The coyote and wolverine fought with surprising synergy as their skill sets complimented each other. The coyote's agility and speed helped pull quick hits on the tan grizzly bear and the wolverine's more powerful punches helped hold him back. Occasionally the gremlin would attempt to chime in by interfering in the fight, but it was more of a nuisance than an actual problem.

"How long do you think we can keep this up, because I don't see any clear end in sight," admitted Jake as he got back into a defensive stance as he was knocked around slightly by the grizzly, taking several kicks to his exposed flanks before being stopped quickly from falling over by the wolverine who pushed him forward.

"As long as we're able to, why are you asking?" said Randal pausing, taking a face full of mud and being knocked to the ground by the tan grizzly cub.

"Looks like this is up to me," sighed Jake as the powerful grizzly swung at him in a frenzy as the coyote was forced to back up quickly as he took several excruciatingly painful blows. The coyote grimaced, hoping to hold out as he took a blow to his side forcing him to his knees. Before the coyote could counter he was seized by his bandana and raised into the air and head butted leaving his ears ringing as he was knocked to the ground rolling down a small slope landing at the bottom, dusty and worn out.

"Planning on whimpering for help coyote? Only one as low as you would do something like that," said Aaron smugly. The coyote tried to lift himself up but there just wasn't the strength to prevail. "Speak up and you going to whine for your parents and friends."

Jake could tell that Aaron was trying to goad the coyote towards a certain response, but he wasn't going to give him any quarter as he kept his mouth shut. Aaron could gloat, but all Jake had to do was keep him talking.

"Stay put!" snarled Aaron, stomping on the coyote's arm and turning him over. Jake felt Aaron slam his clenched fist into his right eye. Almost immediately he felt pain and swelling course through him. "Anything more to say?"

"Well, I was just stalling..."

"Stalling?"

With a gust of wind and the crack of what sounded like lightning the grizzly was thrown several yards, his back hitting a tree trunk as he groaned in agony.

"You couldn't have shown up a few seconds earlier Cato?" said Jake tired as he dusted himself off.

"He could have gotten here sooner, but we had to wait at those bothersome crosswalks, well at least they did," said Grif crashing into a muddy pile sending sprays of the substance onto Jake. "Still one of my more graceful landings."

"That's for sure," scoffed Gumball as the griffin did his best to wring mud from his clothes.

"We figured it was best to be safe and bring everyone along," admitted Grif sheepishly as the coyote looked at him befuddled.

Just in front of him in addition were Darwin, Alex, Brian, Rhonda, Carrie, Bobert, Penny, and of course Kelsey.

"Well, I'm flattered."

"Yeah, well I got your text message and decide to bring the whole gang along," admitted Grif. "You can't believe how driven they all were. It's like you've got your own private fan base."

"Funny."

"Anyways, the park looks worse for wear, if I didn't know any better I'd say this is Gumball's handiwork," said Grif amused as the blue cat frowned. "Only kidding Gumball. Looks like you could use a good rest Jake, here."

"Just lighten up on the jabs at Gumball, I don't appreciate it," said Jake frowning as the griffin grimaced.

"Sorry about that man."

The griffin helped support him as they surrounded the growling grizzly. Aaron was greatly dazed as the charcoal gray wolverine stood before him, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Looks like it's not your day Aaron, I'd say pick up you pawns and go home," commented Grif.

"You haven't seen the last of me..."

The battered grizzly got up, hunched over at first before moving away and dragging Blockbuster with him as Feral followed behind him trailing in his shadow.

"Glad all these shenanigans are over," admitted Gumball crossing his arms.

"That's very much true, I just hope we get a chance for relaxation, then again, Jake probably needs that more than any of us," said Grif, patting his friends head much to the coyote's annoyance.

"Just get me an ice pack," growled Jake.

"Hold on then, we'll be back home in no time."

* * *

Jake lay stretched out on the sofa with a large ice pack over his right eye. Most of the others had gone home but Rhonda, Brian, Cato, Grif, Kelsey and Randal saw to it that the coyote got home safely. The griffin was stretched out lazily on the floor, tinkering with the goggles on his helmet. For the humanoid, mouse and fox they were taking amongst themselves leaving Kelsey and Randal alone in the kitchen.

"Things could have been a lot worse if you hadn't been there Randal, and yes I don't believe you put your differences with him aside to find a common ground," said Kelsey pulling up a chair as the wolverine rubbed his scars.

"Well, a lot was expected of me. I think Aaron learned his lesson, I may have not evened the score as I had planned but I think things were for the best."

"On that I whole heartily agree, but Randal, I think there is more than you're letting on," said the fennec fox as the wolverine bashfully stuck his paws in his pockets.

"Yeah?"

"I noticed how you treated Jake, he's like a little brother to you, and you actually care about him. I saw it when you dived into that pool after him. You tried to protect him from Aaron," said Kelsey leaning in closer to Randal so their conversation wasn't overheard by the others.

"Well, I was raised to be responsible," said Randal rather gruffly, he paid the amber fox no mind.

"Randal, I want to thank you. We can get the help you need and don't shut us out."

"I think staying solo works for me and I doubt that I need your assistance."

"Very well, but you always have a place here Randal," said Kelsey sighing. "But that's not the only thing. I did a little digging recently and something turned up."

The wolverine's ears perked up alert, though he still refused to meet her eyes.

"Doesn't this look familiar?" said Kelsey holding out the photograph of her hockey team in front of the gray wolverine's nose. In the far corner was Randal, beaming cheerfully, scarless walking out of the frame and waving to whoever was behind the camera.

"Seems like a lifetime ago."

"If I were you, I'd help those who I care about, or don't it's your choice."

The wolverine nodded pensively before walking into the living room to check up on the dusty brown coyote sprawled on the couch.

* * *

 **Hey everyone, I sorry for the long hiatus, but now things are calming down I can get back to my regular upload schedule, I hope the month long hiatus wasn't too long. Also, my new beta is officially helping me on the story. Anyways f** **eel free as** **always to leave any and all reviews, and favorites, or follows are very much appreciated. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Match_**

 **Kelsey attempts to prepare herself for her team's last game of the season, but finds herself having trouble concentrating. Will her own frustrations cause her to mess up the big game, or will she leave the ice triumphant?**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-** **It was great seeing Randal and Jake bonding, especially when Randal opened up a bit to him. Even if he is still holding back a lot. Great fight scene and interesting ending. Looking forward to the next one. ;)**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I made a couple references, see how many you can find.**

 **-Is there a lot more questions about Randal's past than before? A few yeah, and you'll get answers to all of them in time.**


	32. Chapter 32: The Match

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 32: The Match

The grinding of ice and the clatter of sticks resounded against the cheering sounds of the rink as Kelsey battled for control of the puck. She gritted her teeth and doubled down, attempting to snatch the puck from her opponent. This thought didn't become a reality as she was quickly checked into the boards and the puck was moved out of reach.

Kelsey growled annoyed at the hit, as she accelerated down the rink kicking up ice shards and taking a desperate swipe at the puck. Her opponent merely danced out of the way avoid Kelsey as she was forced to circle around the back of the net her annoyance building up.

"Getting tired?" mocked the black cat as Kelsey frowned in annoyance.

"Not anytime soon Debra," growled Kelsey pounding her stick against the ice at full force.

The black cat grinned and knocked the puck past the fennec fox's right skate, she failed to stop it by mere inches as the player waiting just beyond the Kelsey delivered a slapshot scoring on the goalie who had been missed when the puck ricochet off the side off the goal.

Kelsey huffed in frustration skating off the ice and heading to the bleachers pushing through the door in a huff discarding her hockey stick and helmet to the bench before throwing herself on it.

 _'I came so close to that puck!'_ stressed Kelsey to herself as the period ended and the teams filed back to their benches to rest.

The goalie came over the bench yanking off her helmet only to reveal the sweat drenched face of Evelyn underneath it who was panting heavily and had her hair plastered to her forehead as a result.

"This game isn't looking good, it's only the end of the second period and we're down three-zero," said the border collie taking a swig from her water bottle. "We need to make some plays or else we won't win this one."

"Tell me about it," grumbled Kelsey, messing around with her helmet in the hopes to take her mind off the matter.

"If I know anything Kelsey, I know that you can pull this off, your the best offensive player on this team, we just need to get the puck to you," said Evelyn adjusting her knee pads while Kelsey dusted the ice shards off her white and blue striped uniform.

"As long we don't let anymore points we may be able to win or at least tie this," admitted Kelsey brushing the sweat off her forehead as she pulled her helmet back on. "Let's ready up."

"Give yourself a break Kelsey," said Evelyn tossing the fennec fox her water bottle. "We're still in this."

"If you insist..." responded Kelsey reluctantly as she stayed on the bench while Evelyn once again took the ice blocking the net and getting her glove ready and other pads.

* * *

The game recommenced with an aggressive start. The other team's offense seemed to be worn out after two periods of playing and were merely trying to keep it out of reach of their team. Kelsey watched eagerly hoping to hop back into the game at any given moment. The coach however was waiting patiently, not bothering to signal Kelsey for her chance to get back onto the ice.

 _'This is the last thing I need,'_ thought Kelsey impatiently for the coach's signal.

"Another goal for the Haunting Eagles!" shouted the announcer for the game in forced enthusiasm as there was a lively roar from the visitors stands, while groans resounded from Elmore's stands. "The Elmore Stags have really got to step up their game if they want to even clench a victory and end this series, otherwise it will tie up the series three-to-three and they'll have to play a seventh game against the Eagles!"

Kelsey finally got the signal from her coach as the lineup switched and Kelsey rushed to get into position for another face-off. The quick slamming of sticks knocked the puck towards the amber fennec fox as she stopped it, and took off from her end heading towards the Eagles end. She easily out sped the others and blew her coverage, her heart pounding as she approached upon the goal shifting the puck side to side, the goalie was trying to keep with her motion. Kelsey feigned a shot the left. The goalie fell for it! She was about to score!

Everything changed in a split second as Kelsey lurched forward landing painfully on the ice, though fortunately enough her pads cushion her fall against the rock solid ice. The incident still managed to knock the wind out of her however. The whistling from the referees told her that one of her opponents had tripped her up with hit from their stick. She was on a breakaway and everything.

"Tripping penalty," called the referee as one of Kelsey's teammates helped her to her feet. Kelsey wasn't surprised to see Debra smiling smugly as the black cat picked up her hockey stick. "Number twenty-three gets a penalty shot."

"Well, that worked out conveniently," said Kelsey scooping up her stick as she the teams cleared off the ice with the exception of Kelsey and the Eagles' goalie.

This time Kelsey dodge and weaved keeping the goalie off balance. A look of confusion crossed the goalie's face from behind her mask and Kelsey knew at that moment that she had the upper hand. She shot the puck toward the upper right corner of the net as the goalie clumsily tried to block it.

"The Elmore Stags score!" said the announcer excited. The fennec fox whooped with joy as she skated around highfiving her teammates before looking up to see the familiar faces of her family and Jake who was grinning and clapping vehemently. Kelsey chuckled in amusement, the coyote had finally changed his attire to a light blue dress shirt and gray pants for the occasion, which was hardly the kind of outfit she expected him to be wearing. Kelsey however had to turn her attention back to the game as the players repositioned to center ice for yet another faceoff.

Kelsey fought for the puck aggressively managing to deflect a shot off her stick and pass it to one of her teammates who barreled down the ice as the fennec fox bounced the puck off the boards to set up a prime opportunity for her teammate to score and another roar of the crowd told them they were now closing the gap with just under five minutes left in the period and down two points. It was a tough challenge but Kelsey knew it wasn't impossible, as she redoubled her efforts.

She tried to find an opening amongst all the heated and tensions of the teams clashing. Small jabs at other players had turned into minor scuffles leaving the Stags with a power play. The only opponent that kept blocking her was Debra, who was continuously trying to get underneath her skin and trying to unnerve her.

"Can't even hit the goal, let alone get near it with you being as predictable as you are," taunted the black cat as she skated along hissing in her ear before checking the fennec fox into the boards.

"Keep talking Debra, you're going to be sore out of luck when you lose again," snarled Kelsey skidding to a halt as Debra skidded uncontrollably into the boards.

The amber fox double back scooping the puck away from one of her opponents as she hurtled off towards the goal. She checked the clock and scoreboard frantically. They were only down a point, but they had only about fifteen seconds left. If they scored they would tie it up and force the game into overtime. She had only one shot on goal and the game would be over. It became harder to manage the puck as Kelsey's arms and legs started to finally feel fatigue setting in on her. Her usually fluid and quick motions became more mechanical and misguided. At the worst moment the fennec fox felt her knees buckled and she hit the ice giving one last effort to guide the puck in the right direction but it veered sadly off course and skidding off the backboards behind the net.

"The Stags lose," groaned the announcer in disappointment. "Still a greatly played game on the part of the Stags, with Kelsey Springer and Natalie Peterson being able to change the course of the game. And now the series for the district championship is all tied up three-to-three."

Kelsey shook her head in disappointment getting of the ice her head hung low in sorrow. She felt personally responsible that her team had lost, despite their warm and sincere appreciation. The two teams then proceeded to shake hands. Kelsey shook each player's hand or paw respectively, each giving them words of encouragement until reaching Debra at the end of line who attempted to crush the fennec fox's paw when they shook hands though Kelsey didn't acknowledge it openly and shook her paw after the black cat skated away.

"We were so close, you almost tied it up," said Evelyn, encouragingly as Kelsey went back to the locker room.

"I know it's frustrating," said Kelsey stressed as she ran her paws through her hair.

"We've still got one more match, and I'm sure we'll steamroll the Eagles next time.

"I hope that's the case, but we're not going to stoop to people like Debra's level in order to win, we're better than that."

"I agree, let's just hope we get the opportunity to get some payback," replied Evelyn tossing her stick onto a bench before sitting down and quickly unfastening her skates before moving onto removing her pads.

"We'll tie things up, come on, our families will start getting impatient if we don't get moving."

The fennec fox had all her hockey pads and gear stuffed into her sport's bag as she left the locker room noticing a familiar face waiting outside. His hair still messy and windswept making it easy to recognize Jake.

"Jake," said Kelsey coolly as the coyote joined the fennec fox at her side.

"That was a thrilling game of hockey, I've never seen such an energetic and fast paced game before," said the coyote trying to strike up conversation.

"Gee, thanks," said Kelsey halfheartedly causing the coyote to glance at her for a brief second.

"You alright? I know losing the match must have been tough, but I think you performed better than any other player out there on the ice," said Jake cautious as the amber fennec fox gave him a piercing stare.

"I could have extended the match into overtime if I had scored," said Kelsey rubbing her forehead.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, you did all you possibly could."

"I guess you're right about that."

"I ought to catch you later Kelsey," said Jake fiddling with his buttons nervously.

"Hold up for a second Jake," said the fennec fox holding out her arm barring the way. "There is something we need to discuss."

"And what do you have in mind?" asked the coyote rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I wanted to talk about us," said Kelsey giving him a suspicious look.

"Oh sure, what do you want to know?" said Jake awfully fidgety.

"I was going to ask you to help me practice a few of my hockey moves. But it seems like you've got a busy schedule to keep," said Kelsey crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm just be stretched thin by recent events, Grif and I have to work on the project at the library," said Jake his ears drooping.

"I understand, I was just hoping to spend time with you, tell you what why don't we hang out on Sunday, would that fit into your schedule?"

"That might actually work, see you then."

* * *

Kelsey shifted the puck with careful precision as Jake geared up tugging on the goalie mask that he was provided that was annoying small cutting into his head. The coyote was irked by the mask was customized to be bright pink with blue stripes. Both the coyote and fox where in the hockey rink which was thankfully empty after Kelsey's team practice. Evelyn had to leave quickly saying she had to talk to a friend of hers not before wishing both of them good luck.

"I think Evelyn's secondary mask suits you Jake," giggled the fennec fox as the coyote tried to loosen the straps cutting into his face as he rolled his eyes.

"Very funny Kelsey, next time I'm buying my own hockey mask."

"If I recall correctly you're the one who rejected my offer to go to the sports store to get you your own gear, but you said no," said Kelsey teasingly.

"I immediately regret my decision now."

"That you must do, come on, I've got some new moves to practice on you."

"Uh, this should be entertaining," replied Jake preparing for the worst.

Kelsey skated zigzagging and testing the coyote's defenses. Despite his lack of formal practice with hockey gear Jake was learning quickly. Though Evelyn's borrowed pads were turning out to be somewhat of a liability as they were several sizes too small.

"Gah, how do you see out of this thing?" said the coyote rubbing his temples. "Can I take this thing off?"

"If you want to take the risk of accidentally taking a puck to the face you can, I wouldn't recommend taking it off."

"Good point, at least it affords me some protection, even if I don't like it one bit," snorted Jake as he tugged the mask back over his face. "Let's get to it!"

"That's the spirit! By the way, heads up!" shouted Kelsey as the puck rattled off the coyote's helmet jarring him slightly.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" said Jake in false indignation, crossing his arms to sell the fact.

"Oh well, at least you've a helmet for that big head of yours," said Kelsey smirking in amusement as knocked the puck in between his skates scoring a perfect goal on him.

"I have a lot to learn don't I?" said the coyote a sense of awe dawning over him.

"Yes you do, outsider," said Kelsey doing a goofy victory dance to celebrate her goal.

"Is this seriously your past time? If that's the case you have to find a new hobby," said the coyote chuckling as the amber fennec fox bounced another puck off the coyote's helmet. "Hey! I don't want to become live target practice!"

"Ah, you're fine," reassured the fennec fox skating around the coyote tugging on the bandana around the coyote's neck and pulling him in closer as she took off Evelyn's helmet. "You're looking rather well Jake."

"Don't tell me I've got marks because of that thing," said Jake impatiently rubbing at where the helmet had cut into his face.

"Here let me help you," said the fennec fox pouring some water from her bottle onto a cloth before rubbing across the agitated marks.

"Hey cut that out it, it tickles!" said Jake laughing hysterically as the fennec fox laughed along.

"I'm just getting those hideous red marks off your face, it's nothing serious!" insisted Kelsey.

"Well, it wasn't so bad, so you said something about new moves?" asked Jake.

"I've got a few that I would like to try out," said Kelsey spinning her hockey stick in her hand like it was a baton.

"As long as I'm not continuously pelted by the puck we're good," said Jake shivering slightly in fear as the fennec fox once again handled the puck as she skidded back onto the ice.

"Ah, what's the worst that can happen?" said the fennec fox confidently.

* * *

The dusty brown coyote's body ached as he gripped his forearm where a particularly large bruise had formed from the puck. Jake shuffled off the ice as the amber fennec fox followed after him.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that I have bruises in places that I didn't know was possible, you could have held back on some of those shots."

"I was making sure you were actually paying attention. But I guess you should have had better pads on," said Kelsey amused as the coyote shook his head.

"So, do you think you got your new moves down?"

"I think so, you probably need to relax Jake," insisted the amber fox pressing her paw up against him and forcing onto the bench.

"I'm not going to argue, I think I've earned a rest."

The fennec fox hopped down next to him. The coyote was already leaning back his eyes closed and head to the sky. Old a few wispy clouds streaked across the pale blue sky and the sun was bright enough to turn the ice into a shining sheet of white almost of blinding brilliance. The strong breeze passed through the rink and there was a bitter nip to the air. The two sat there for a while.

"Do you think I can help win this thing for my team?"

"What makes you say that? I'm certain that you can do," said the coyote giving her a bright smile.

"I appreciate your vote of confidence Jake."

"You're welcome, and I know you can do it, you're the best player in all of Elmore."

"I'm not so sure about that, but I guess we'll find out soon enough right?" asked the fennec fox untying her laces and tugging her skates off.

The coyote on the other hand forgot that his skates were still on as he stood up as his legs sped back and forth to stabilize himself before falling backwards and the amber fox quickly grabbed ahold of him before he toppled.

"Thanks," said Jake gratefully turning around to grin.

"It was nothing," said Kelsey brushing her hair out of her eyes.

After Jake sorted out his messily tied shoelaces, the coyote sprung up and brushing himself off and picking up his discarded blue pads and mask. Kelsey was already way ahead of him with all her stuff neatly placed in her sports bag. The sudden sound of the rink's entrance door nearly being knocked off its hinges alerted both Jake and Kelsey. The amber fox moved first, quickly grabbing ahold of the coyote's paw and tugging him around the corner avoid notice as the figures walked in. The leader being Aaron alongside his cronies.

"You certain that little coyote went this way?"

"Positively," sniveled Feral his yellow eyes scanning each corner of the room. "I swear I let nothing go unnoticed Aaron."

"That had better be the case, do know where they are?"

"... I can't recall."

"Maybe being hit with my fist several times will help jog your memory!"

"I swear, they haven't left yet."

"You're useless to me, Blockbuster, infrared vision, let me know if anything comes up," commanded Aaron pointing to the robot who nodded as he adjusted the settings on his visor before walking down the rows of benches knocking anything over that was in the way of his search.

"Huh, you know this dark quite corner is actually kinda romantic," said the coyote jokingly as the fennec fox shook her head.

"Let's just worry about getting out of this situation first, then we can crack as many jokes as we'd like."

"Any ideas Kelsey?"

"Blockbuster is a robot right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"That means he thinks logically, which means I can reason with him, wish me luck," and before the coyote could try to stop her she stepped out in front of the robot who seemed to stop in surprise inclining his head to one side at the sight of her.

"Hey, can we talk for a second?"

The robot didn't answer he instead choosing to try to resume his path before the fennec fox stepped out in front of robot.

"You see, I find myself in a sticky situation, you see, Jake Wiley is a good friend of mine and I overheard your conversation for your search for him."

The robot looked at her with the same uncaring and unchanging stared he had. The only thing that had changed is his left shoulder's panel opened up and revealed a small speaker. The fennec fox quickly muffled it with her paw as the speaker let out a loud blearing tone. However when this happened the fox noticed something incredibly important. Stamped in golden letters on the speaker was the words 'Digiverse Tech'.

Blockbuster still quickly retaliate electrifying his whole body and zapping Kelsey quite painfully as a result. The robot was about to blast the warning signal again when Kelsey stopped him again.

"Just hear me out will you? Are you a free and independent person or just a mindless piece of hardware constantly being told what to do?"

Surprisingly, the robot stored away his speaker and crossed his arms defiantly as the fennec fox got ready to reason with him.

"Okay, so you were assembled at Digiverse Tech am I right?"

The robot nodded.

"Well, my friend's dad works at your assembler's company what will happen when he's harmed? Won't there be critical parts or such that won't be produced, and even if you cover it up won't his dad have to take time off work to look out for him?" said Kelsey persuasively. It took a few seconds but the robot seemed to understand, deterring from his search and walking away giving the coyote and fox the perfect opportunity to slip out the back door.

"That was a lot closer than I'd like," said Jake sighing in relief.

"Never a dull moment in Elmore huh?"

"True in so many ways."

The amber fennec fox then grabbed the coyote's paw stopping him from going any further. No words were needed for them as they looked into each other's eyes. The coyote's face still showed signs of his previous encounter as there were a few small scratches across the bridge of his nose and underneath his eye. His hair was the same untidy style, and the coyote quickly tried to rectify this smoothing it out with his free hand. Kelsey couldn't help but chuckle at this small fact. All the small little quirks of the coyote were somewhat endearing. Sure he wasn't the brightest in his class, or the most social, or the most athletic, but he knew what he was good at. She brought her head closer to the coyote's. His fur was somewhat coarse like a wire brush but it felt smoother like blades of grass as she drew closer into him. She felt her short whiskers brush up against the coyote's face as she kissed him softly on the cheek.

The coyote sheepish blushed a bright red as a result. He looked into her crystal blue eyes lovingly, her orange and white fur shone brilliantly in the light of the setting sun and her hair looked silky smooth even with the persistent howl of the wind. Her soft smile was one of the brightest sights in his world. Jake then pulled her into a warm embrace, leaning his head up against hers. She was his greatest friend, he couldn't imagine where his life would be without her as one fatefully day had been their chance meeting and what had started it all. The coyote finally gave the fennec fox a small kiss to which she raised an eyebrow too before pulling the coyote by the bandanna into a passionate kiss. They finally broke apart, deciding to walk home hand in hand planning to discuss the days events.

* * *

The match was finally turning in the Stags' favor, Kelsey felt naturally at home on the ice, looping around the goal as Evelyn did her best to defend the narrow passages to it. The fennec fox shifted from skate to skate picking up speed and hurtling past several of the other team's offense, but not before easily snatching the puck from Debra with a nifty trick she had mastered due to her practice with Jake. The black cat looked dumbfounded unable to express anything in words as the fennec fox gave her a wink before nimble dodging and waving past two of the Haunting Eagles defenders causing them to collide with each other, with a simple flick of the wrist the fox scored on her first goal of the game setting them at a lead of two-to-one. As long as the Stags could keep the puck out of their end of the rink it was almost a certainty that they were going to win this. The Haunting Eagles seemed to be extremely petered out and exhausted shortly after the first period. With that the Elmore Stags had pressed the advantage giving them the lead. Kelsey was still weary however as they had almost tied the game last time, so she didn't want to be underprepared.

The constant cheers from Elmore's stands reinvigorate the fennec fox as she clashed for the puck, hoping that she would just be able to play keep away for the next two periods. Kelsey quickly battled for the puck her stick moving like a blur as she passed it off to one of her teammates as Debra veered away from the fox but not before trying to bump into her as knock her off balance which she quickly avoided. This however gave the chance for the black cat to steal the puck and shoot it at the goal, only for the border collie to catch it in her glove.

"Great save Evelyn!" said Kelsey enthusiastically giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder.

Debra gave a particularly sour look at this, skating back to her team's bench as they switched the lineup.

When it finally came down to the finally minutes the Haunting Eagles decided to leave their net empty in favor for an additional player to try to tie up the game so the match would go into overtime, however this ended with only further humiliation as Kelsey quickly assisted one of her teammates to score the final goal making it a victory for the Stags with a score of three-to-two. There was still somewhat a coldness to both teams as they shook hand. Some of the players greeted each other with friend hugs or pats on the back. When it came down to Debra and Kelsey the former said no words.

"Well fought Debra, it was a good run," said the fennec fox sincerely as the black cat gave her a chilly squint before skating away. The fennec fox had been genuine and kind to the black cat, but wasn't surprised to find she hadn't shaken anyone's hand from the Stags.

This didn't dull the moment for Kelsey and her other teammates as the referee carried out the trophy allowing each one of the Stags touch the trophy and hold it up in the air. Joy filled the fennec fox as she lifted up the trophy to tumultuous applause from the Elmore stands and a few boos from the opposite side. It was thrilling as she grinned handing off the trophy to her teammates.

* * *

When the fennec fox had finally packed up she did a double take of the locker room looking to see if she had left anything behind. Kelsey stopped her paw inches from the door as she noticed a rather unusual sight. Evelyn's gear was still scattered in a rush. The border collie had left without even grabbing her stuff which was definitely out of the ordinary as Kelsey had never known her to be forgetful. The amber fox though it was best if she ran by Evelyn's house and delivered to her, so she quickly pulled it off the gray concrete floor before heading out the door.

"Look, I know what you're trying to say Ev, but it's not the case."

"So what do you mean by that, because all I've seen you do is pick on him and try to provoke him," said the voice of Evelyn angrily, as the other voice tried to find his words.

"It's not true, it's really not."

"Until I see otherwise I'm not going to talk to you."

"I understand then," said the voice sighing.

Both figures heard the door to the locker room open up revealing Kelsey a look of utter shock crossing her face as she saw the most unlikely person Kelsey would suspect noticing Evelyn and Randal standing together though it was apparent that they had been in the middle of an argument.

 _'Things just got a lot more complicated...'_ thought Kelsey as Randal and Evelyn exchanged looks of worry.

* * *

 **Getting back into the swing of things has been a challenge, but things are becoming more manageable so I'll be able to ease back into my regular upload schedule. By the way, what do you think of the chapter? Any errors that I overlooked? And what's your impression of this story, anyways f** **eel free as** **always to leave any and all reviews, and favorites, or follows are very much appreciated. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Conflict_**

 **Things take a turn for the worse for the gang as Randal spends more time with them much to their dismay, but also indirectly causing tension between members of the group.**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-** **This was quite an enjoyable chapter, seeing Kelsey and her team defeated only to come back stronger and take the win. And let's not forget that sweet moment between Jake and Kelsey. Can't wait to see how that ending turns out in the next chapter.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Randal and Evelyn, yep they've known each other for quite some time, but for exactly how long I can't say just yet.**

 **-I wanted to flesh out Kelsey's character more showing some of her frustrations as well as determination on the ice.**

 **-I'm now over the official halfway point for the story, as the Outsider is going to end at chapter sixty-three.**

 **-A character who hasn't really been a part of the story is going to make a return next chapter, hope you're looking forward to that. ;)**


	33. Chapter 33: The Conflict

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 33: The Conflict

The pitch black darkness outside caused the coyote to check his watch again hastily. It was almost eleven o'clock as Jake looked over his history paper for Miss Simian double checking for any discontinuities or mistakes in his dates or locations. He clicked away at the keyboard, letting the words from his brain seamlessly transition to the computer screen. Jake yawned, his eyes droopy as he continuously scanned the report. Grif had contributed a great deal to the paper in terms of ideas and supporting evidence, which surprised Jake as the griffin seemed to have a photographic memory when it came to dates and events. Still, Jake's message inbox was still opened with his last conversation with Grif being an hour ago when the red and white griffin decided to catch some shuteye. The paper wasn't due until Monday, but all of their groundwork had been finished and they had started revising and editing it. Brooke had turned out to be a great help to her son, pointing out grammatical and punctuation errors that the coyote hadn't even noticed, which fortunately for them would save them from the cranky teacher's strict grading rubric. Jake yawned again, this time closing his textbook and hopping off the chair he was sitting on. It would be best if he finished the paper on Saturday, after all he had spent the last three hours working on that alone and he ought to get some shuteye as he went upstairs being sure to tiptoe on the staircase to not alert his slumbering parents.

Upon entering his room the coyote noticed his desk light and various papers were still strewn out in a disorderly mess and the coyote hastened to clean them, resolving to simply stuff them in his bag before plopping down onto his bed, pulling the sheets around himself tightly leaving the coyote snugly secure as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The light shining annoyingly on Jake's face was the thing that woke him as he lazily buried his face underneath his pillow before pulling himself up.

"You've got to love these lazy Saturday mornings." A brief glance at his alarm clock changed that fact in a hurry. "Or afternoons, ah, I better get up."

The coyote rushed downstairs, his shirt put on sloppily and leapt down the staircase causing quite a ruckus as he landed almost falling over before brushing himself off.

"Look who finally managed to wake up," said Brooke smiling at the coyote from over her cup of coffee. "Hungry?"

"Not really, I've got to head out and meet my friends, so I'll just have something quick," said Jake, giving his mother a quick hug before rummaging through the fridge for anything to eat.

"Well, just keep up your strength, and don't just inhale your food, enjoy it!" said Brooke annoyed as the coyote had already stuffed a sandwich in his mouth, half of it was still dangling from it as the dusty brown coyote simply shrugged before opening up the front door and walking out.

Upon leaving his neighborhood he met exactly who he had been expecting, as he noticed a certain blue cat, goldfish, and shapeshifter standing at the corner.

"Hey everyone!" greeted Jake cheerily as they turned around.

"Took you long enough," grumbled Gumball as Jake smiled.

"I took the scenic route, sorry for the delay guys."

"Well, it's good to see you regardless Jake," said Penny, smiling brightly.

"Same here, it's been a hectic week at school, I'm glad we're getting the chance to take it easy this time. Any of you started that research paper yet?"

"Well, I've started to lay some of the groundwork for it," said Penny somewhat sheepishly.

"Let me guess, Gumball is reluctant to work on it."

"Not true, I just... haven't found what topic it was going to be on."

"Gumball, we were assigned our topics," said Jake shaking his head in disapproval.

"Well, it doesn't help that our computer moves at a tortoise's pace."

"Fair enough," said Jake adjusting his backpack. "Where are the others though?"

"Grif says he's coming, I just don't know when he's going-"

"Geronimo!" shouted the all familiar voice of the griffin, as he face-planted quite painfully on the sidewalk as his friends rushed over to him. Together they help lifted the griffin off the pavement.

"Any damage Grif? C'mon Grif, speak to me," said Gumball shaking the griffin who merely swayed on the spot woozily.

"Mom, is that you?" said the confused griffin looking at the blue cat as if startled.

"He's going to be fine, just give him a few moments," said the coyote patting his friend on the back.

The still somewhat confused griffin wobbled back and forth on the spot before leaning on Darwin as he almost tripped over his own two feet.

"Is there a massive earthquake going on? The ground is so unstable!"

"Penny, can you help keep an eye on Grif, make sure he doesn't mess up or anything?" sighed Jake as the griffin staggered and stumbled his way down the street.

"I'm on it," said Penny nodding as the others discussed things among themselves.

"So do you think he's really turned over a new leaf, he's not exactly trustworthy after all."

"I think he's been trying very hard to reform," replied Darwin as Gumball shifted uncertainly.

"I'm not sure that this is the case, this all doesn't sit well with me, I mean, why would Randal contact us? It's not the norm for him," said Gumball as Penny shapeshifted into a dragon deciding to pick Grif up with her mouth to stop him from stumbling.

"Any brain cells still intact Grif?" asked Jake grinning as the griffin gave a somewhat forced thumbs up.

"I'm just glad my helmet helped lessened the impact. Still, making concrete angels was not on today's agenda."

The group snorted with laughter, including Penny who almost shot piping hot flames at the griffin causing him to panic and leap away from her only to stick the landing this time.

"Whoa, Grif, are you alright, how do you feel?" asked Penny nervously as the red and white griffin extinguished several charred feathers on top of his head.

"Medium rare," replied the griffin a wide grin spreading across his face. "Dragon form huh? Pretty neat."

"Well, I have been trying to get greater mastery over my different forms," replied Penny as she turned back into her regular fairy form.

"Last I checked, didn't you have trouble with controlling your different forms," said Jake amazed at how easily the fairy had transitioned between them.

"Well, I've been getting better at having the ability to choose my forms, it's like the more I use each form the stronger the connection to each form becomes," replied Penny sheepishly.

"Speaking of which Penny, do you think the rest of your family will come out of their shells too?" inquired Gumball.

"I suppose anything's possible, but they aren't ready to really accept that, at least for right now," said Penny nervously.

"Well maybe with some charisma on your part you can convince them," said Grif, shrugging.

"Let's hope so."

"So Grif, didn't Carrie say she was coming along with Kelsey?" asked Jake as the sudden crack of teleport resounded and the form of Kelsey appeared tottering on the edge of the sidewalk causing her to grab the coyote's bandanna in desperation nearly pulling him over as well before the fennec fox grabbed ahold of a streetlight. The duo steadied out and the amber fox released the lamppost and promptly joined the others.

"Hey how's it going?" said the fennec fox brushing herself off.

Grif was first to greet her and quite enthusiastically as he gave her a strong handshake.

"Great to see you again Kelse, hope the past couple of days have treated you well," said the griffin pleasantly as he smoothed back his feathers to give himself the same windswept look he was accustomed to.

"They have, and I see that you're doing well, did you have a little trouble though?" said the fennec fox indicating to some of the slightly charred feathers on the griffin's head.

"Oh that, toaster trouble," lied Grif quickly glancing at Penny.

"Uh huh," replied the amber fox, totally unconvinced.

The griffin shrugged helpless fixing his pilot's helmet as he pulled his goggles over his eyes.

"Well, I'm scouting out the skies, look around for our illusive wolverine buddy," said Grif prepping his wings for takeoff as the fennec fox tried to give him a few more words of warning.

"Be careful, you know, just in case if you have your usual luck."

"C'mon, you don't think you have to warn me about that do you?"

"Grif," said Kelsey scoffing.

The griffin gave an enthusiastic salute to the amber fox before returning skyward in a blast off of speed and moving in fancy and impressive display of maneuvers before reaching his maximum altitude. The large group walked down the street looking for any sign of the wolverine and sure enough, he was leaning against a telephone pole.

"Look who it is," said Jake as the wolverine walked over to them.

"I thought this would be just a few people," said the charcoal gray wolverine somewhat disgruntled at the large group.

"Well, I decided it was best to maybe a few familiar faces along to help you get you to know us all better."

"With a face like his how could you forget it," blurted Gumball.

This caught the attention of wolverine who shot a sour look towards the blue cat and snarled viciously. Jake quickly interceded stepping in front of Randal.

"I'm sure he meant nothing by it," said Jake quickly apologizing for Gumball's response as the blue cat nodded his head vigorously in agreement, a frightened look on his face.

"He better have, otherwise I'm going to have to punt him," said the wolverine with a snarl.

"Randal..." said the coyote discouragingly, as he shook his head. The wolverine ignored the coyote's efforts of trying to communicate to him and tried to change the subject.

"Where's you feathery friend? You two are usually inseparable."

"He's keeping watch up top, besides, I'm not so sure he's keen to greet you just yet as you do have quite a temper," said the coyote carefully as he fixed his bandana.

"Fine fine, what are you planning on having us do anyways?"

"I was thinking we could hang out at the mall for a few hours and perhaps do something there, the possibilities are almost endless."

"Yeah, that sounds good, besides I could probably use a new pair of shoes," answered Carrie in response getting a weird look from Jake as he wanted to ask her why she would even need shoes if she didn't have any feet, but thought better of it and shook his head.

 _'This is Elmore after all,'_ thought Jake scoffing. _'Things don't always make sense.'_

"I'll join you Carrie, this pair is starting to get a bit worn out," said Darwin, indicating to his standard green and white shoes.

"Well you have had those for quite some time."

"True enough, let's not waste any time then, I want to get to the arcade," said Gumball enthusiastically clapping his hands together and walking down the side walk. "Anyone coming?"

* * *

The large group of friends traveled into Elmore Mall, which was jam packed with the usual hustle and bustle of everyday shoppers. The tempting smells from the food court were a welcome change from the dusty and sickening aroma of gasoline from the parking lot. Jake watch in amusement as Grif danced around shoppers, clearly not used to so many people being at the same place at the same time.

"You would think some of these people would respect personal space," said the griffin somewhat annoyed as he was caught between two blocky and heavily built construction workers, squeezing him painfully in between.

"Guys, a little help here?" pleaded Grif in a strained voice as Jake quickly attempted to dislodge him.

"He won't budge," said Jake behind gritted teeth as he found himself and Grif was unsuspectingly being carried toward the escalators. In response Kelsey took action grabbing ahold of Jake's back who was still resolutely pulling on the pinned griffin. Gumball, Darwin, and Penny all interceded, before the wolverine grabbed ahold of one of the griffin's feet.

"Uh what are you doing? You're not going to-"

And with one powerful heave the wolverine dislodged the griffin, causing the chain that had formed to try and pull Grif out fall backwards on top of one another.

"Randal!" said Kelsey in annoyance as Jake hurriedly got up to give her a hand. "You could have given us a small warning you know."

"Oh please, you weren't getting out of the way, besides I saved Grif from being stuck between those walking mega blocks," said Randal, thumbing in the direction of the two construction workers.

"You know, being pulled out of there foot first wasn't exactly fun, I think you might have sprained something," said the griffin gingerly testing his foot to see if everything was alright.

"Ah, you'll be fine," growled the wolverine, dismissing his claim and walking away almost immediately to the sports store.

"... We'll make sure he doesn't wreck any store merchandise," said Kelsey taking Jake by the hand. "Have fun you guys and gals!"

"Well, this is starting to turn out to be a total disaster," whispered Jake in the fennec fox's pointed and fluffy ear.

"I know, but that's not the only thing I wanted to talk about, I discovered something big," said the amber fox, pulling him behind a large map board.

"What exactly are we going to talk about?" said the coyote startled as Kelsey looked around.

"You recall that my hockey team had a match last week," said Kelsey looking to see if Randal was nearby or that any other passerby might hear their conversation. "Randal showed up, and from what I can tell he was in the middle of an argument with Evelyn."

"Evelyn? What has she got to do with Randal?" said Jake taken aback as the fennec fox shook her head.

"I don't know, there's something fishy about this however," answered the fennec fox.

"Thanks for the heads up about this. You don't think they're a couple though, they're not a couple right?" asked Jake.

"I'd be lying that I'm not more than a little concerned for Evelyn if that's the case. Randal hasn't found peace with what he's done, though he has been reforming of late, he is still volatile."

"Are you saying you knew him?" said Jake. "Kelsey is there something you're not telling me?"

"Ev did mention Randal several times in passing, never by name of course, but I never believed they were the same person until now, that's the honest truth," said Kelsey defensively, brushing the hair out of her eyes as Jake fiddled with his backpack adjusting the straps.

"Okay, I believe you, but you have to admit, it is quite strange. You don't think Randal is trying to manipulate Ev do you?"

"Believe me, Ev has an iron strong will and I don't think she'd be that gullible in that regard. It seemed more like they were arguing about legitimate trust problems they were having."

"Well, we best keep a particularly close eye on Randal from here on out," admitted Jake uneasily as herd of people passed their hiding spot.

The amber fox and the dusty brown coyote quickly followed the charcoal wolverine who seemed to be slumped over examining a vibrant red and black striped racing bike. He seemed to be fascinated with it, examining every little detail from spokes to tires and running a paw over the seat as if to see how it felt. The surface was surprisingly smooth and the wolverine was surprised as he returned to examining every bolt upon the bike.

"Two-fifty? That price is a little too hefty," said the wolverine incredulously.

"Checking out the merchandise?" asked Jake casually startling the wolverine who jump with a start before growling.

"Oh, it's you two," snarled Randal as he continued to examine the bike not paying mind to Jake or Kelsey.

"Are we interrupting something?"

"Yes, now scram kiddos," replied the wolverine as a sign of defiance he raised himself up to his full height towering over the smaller coyote who didn't seem to even flinch at this.

"Answer this for me first Randal, why do you constantly push away people who are close to you, or at least care about you?"

"Isn't it obvious? I don't want to have anyone to be close to me, I'll give you one thing though, you're nothing if not relentless," said Randal contemptuously as he looked from Jake to Kelsey. Neither even shirked or backed away, they stood, resolute and unflinching.

Couldn't they tell he didn't want to be bothered by them? Pestered to the point he was thrown back into his old life. He wasn't the same kid... and yet he was. The same boy who once enjoyed bicycle rides down the street, racing a certain border collie as they constantly tried to outdo the other. The same kid who still kept the photo of his parents on their wedding day, despite the shattered frame and broken glass. The same kid who believed in doing the right thing, and standing up for his friends. Was it all but a dream, or was it something real? Something more that he had once known and exchanged, he had sold his own heart to become a monstrosity like Aaron. Was that where his life had taken him? Or could he make amends and find some sort of redemption. Here he stood, a shadow of his former self, greater in strength of body, but lesser in spirit and heart. In the end he was nothing. The kid he was before was ten times stronger than him, willing to defend, persevere, and care for others.

"Randal?" a small voice snapped Randal back into reality as he looked at Jake the small coyote was ringing his hands nervously while the fennec fox had a bewildered look on her face, the wolverine snapped out of his melancholy state, putting on a small smile.

"Yeah?"

"What's troubling you?" said the coyote apprehensively.

"Just old reopening wounds, it's the physical scars that heal fastest after all," said Randal motioning to the scars across his face.

"Don't start dragging yourself down," said Kelsey shaking her head as the wolverine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Right, sorry about that."

"It happens to all of us once in a while Randal," said Jake hurriedly as Kelsey crossed her arms. "Now if I recall correctly we haven't established something and I'm itching to know which one of us is the most athletic..."

* * *

"I'm just saying, shouldn't we be cautious around him?" asked Gumball crossing his arms. "Who's to say he won't try to steamroll us as soon as we let our guard down?"

"I'd say give him a chance," said Penny as the blue cat paced back and forth as he went down the aisles tearing through the various items.

"C'mon Gumball he's not so bad," said Carrie shaking her head as she checked a pair of red high top sneakers while Darwin in turn was checking out a pair of red and white running shoes.

"Ah, these are more of Grif's style aren't they?" said Darwin shaking his head and storing the shoes back upon the same dusty and unused shelf.

"I think Randal means well, he just needs to loosen up," admitted Grif as the goldfish tried on a pair of shoes.

"After all, just give him a chance, for me Gumball, please?" begged Penny as the blue cat nodded slowly and uncertainly.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I trust him."

"I guess that's the most I can ask for," said Penny sighing then floating over to him and taking him by the paws, pulling him over with her to a different part of the store.

"Why are we here, shouldn't we be with the others," asked the blue cat as the shapeshifting fairy looked him in the eyes.

"Gumball, I know it's probably a bit difficult for you to accept Randal, but he seems like a decent person," said Penny persistently.

"Well, he hasn't been too much of a comforting presence," said the blue cat sarcastically as he tried to pull away before Penny stopped him.

"Will you just listen?" replied the shapeshifter as the blue cat paused from struggling against her.

"Fine, but I don't think I'll like what I hear," replied Gumball still somewhat defiantly.

"Even if you don't trust Randal are you really going to form a wedge between yourself and Jake because of it?" said Penny heatedly as the blue cat let out as remiss sigh.

"Alright, we'll do it your way Penny, however if Randal does something suspicious I'll not be too kind to him."

"Gumball, just take it easy."

Part of Gumball wanted to believe her, as she looked into his eyes pleadingly. Was Randal's intentions pure, or was this some big grand scheme to manipulate them. He had never expected the wolverine to save Jake from drowning as he had dived into the pool without a second thought. Sure that might have been a noble intention, but Randal had never exactly been forthcoming with his intentions or emotions. Plus he had a track record of constantly tangling with the coyote despite their sometimes shared goals. Apparently he was in very deep thought as Penny playfully tapped him on the forehead as she returned the blue cat to reality.

"A lot on your mind?"

"Pretty much. I think you have a point though."

"That's good then, we should probably finish up here, so c'mon let's meet up with the others," replied the shapeshifting fairy as she took the cat by the hand and walked off hoping to find where the others were.

* * *

After some time Carrie and Darwin joined up with them and began searching the mall for the missing trio. Sure enough the sports store was where Jake, Kelsey, and Randal were at. The three seemed to be caught up in something. It almost appeared to be a tangle of sorts as Jake was being lifted off the ground.

"Let them go!" insisted Gumball charging the wolverine and punching him in the face causing him to stagger.

"Gumball!" said Jake toppling over off where he had been lifted onto the wolverine's shoulder. The coyote completely appalled by the cat's actions as he shook his hand to get ride off the numbing sensation climbing up it.

"What? I just saved you from that hulking brute," insisted Gumball.

"Foolish child," snarled Randal wiping his mouth with the back of his paw. "You ought to be taught a lesson-"

Before the wolverine could finish his sentence a certain goldfish came sailing by kicking the charcoal gray wolverine in the head, who seemed dizzied by the hit. Before Gumball had another chance to respond he found himself being restrained and pulled back by none other than Jake.

"What were you thinking?!" said Kelsey as she tugged Darwin away from Randal in a huff.

"Could you not see that you needed help to face him?"

"You idiots," snarled Randal as he shook off the hit. "I was playing with them!"

Both the goldfish and the cat reacted with shock. It was now very apparent to them that Randal had been playfully showing off by lifting the coyote. And it was also apparent that he was playing with Kelsey by intentionally messing up her hair, which she did seem slightly annoyed at, but Gumball could have sworn she had been playful messing with the wolverine as well as the back of his t-shirt had been wrapped around some shelving.

"Oh well, I'm sorry about that."

"Way to go hero," said Grif sarcastically rolling his eyes as he checked up on Randal who dusted himself, a sour look on his face. "Thankfully that metal skeleton of yours kept you from getting knocked over, you're as sturdy as a brick wall."

"I'm not that kind of wolverine," said Randal shaking his head in discouragement as the Grif gave a mock sigh.

"That's a bummer, I was really hoping you'd have that epic healing factor."

"Are you seriously going to just make nice with him Grif?" asked Gumball somewhat unsettled.

"He isn't so bad," said the griffin hoping to allay his mistrust in the wolverine.

"He's repeatedly targeted Jake, and he's simply using us to do his dirty work for him now!"

In a flash Penny shifted into her dragon form sending crackling hot fire towards the ceiling ending all argument and causing shock amongst all of them.

"Have I got your attention?" huffed Penny as she returned back to her normal form. Not one of them could form a single word to say in response to this.

Finally the red and white griffin managed to speak up after clearing his throat.

"Is it me or is that a barbecue I smell... wait."

Several flaming tiles falling down was enough to confirm their suspicions.

"Run for it!" yelled Grif in a panic making sure to grab Gumball by the scruff of the neck and Darwin by the fin as they were still observing in horror the flaming roof of the store.

Randal hastily untied himself and they all barged out of the store in a frenzy, Penny accidentally turning into a mouse in the ensuing panic as a result as she scampered out ahead of them.

Firefighters were on the scene as they exited the building, which was now billowing smoke as each one of them gasped for breath as a result on almost choking on the thick brown smoke.

"We should have probably kept low to the ground, that's what you're supposed to do in case of a fire, right?" asked Jake still choking on smoke.

"Whatever the case, at least we made it out in time and we're now at a safe distance," replied Grif, who has smartly used his face shield to minimize the effects the smoke and dust had had on him, only giving a slight cough upon opening it. "You okay Gumball, you good Darwin?"

"We're fine," panted Gumball, as he leaned heavily against one of the parked cars.

"Well, I'm sure that the firefighters will have no trouble battling the blaze once they get inside," replied Grif hopefully. "They got everyone out of the building right?"

"I'm certain of it," said Darwin looking around at all the people gathered. "Besides, we were the closest to the blaze and we're fine."

Only to make matters worse the mall itself spontaneously caught on fire causing them to blink in shock.

"Oh no, this is much worse," said Grif shaking his head. "You think we should explain it to him, or just shuffle off?"

"I think we should be straight forward about it, besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Juvy or community service?" said Grif weighing the opinions in each hand. "Take your pick."

Before they could answer a certain red car pulled up in front of them and a rather panicked Brooke stepped out pulling Jake into a bone crushing hug.

"I was so worried, what happened?"

"Well..."

"No need to explain, come on, I'll get you home. Grif, Kelsey, do you want a ride as well. What am I saying, of course you shouldn't be walking home after this. C'mon."

And with that an insisting Brooke guided them to her car as they all looked guiltily back on the burning mall which was now having the many small fires extinguish by the fire hoses.

"Just another day in Elmore I guess," whispered Grif shrugging.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long delay, this chapter took longer than I could have possible anticipated. Still, I'm happy I finished it and now I can get this project rolling again. I'm hoping that I'll find the time when summer rolls around to be publishing chapter faster than once per week to make up for lost time. Anyways, if you liked this chapter be sure to fave, follow or review, and I really appreciate the recent reviews, they always bring a smile to my face. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Youth- Part One_**

 **Things go awry when Carrie decides to test out a new spell on Grif, and some of the resulting after effects are less than ideal for the griffin.**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-They set the mall on fire!? Oh my, what a day. I like how almost everyone is giving Randal a chance to be apart of them group and it makes sense that Gumball is still mistrusting of him. Grif also really made me laugh and I like the Wolverine ester egg you put in.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Yep, I made a Wolverine reference, I figured it was a good a time as any since _Logan_ just came out almost two weeks ago. **

**-I tried to make Grif very lighthearted and humorous, so he'd sort of fit in with the overall feel of the show, and I'm rather pleased with the outcome.**

 **-I wanted to give some insight into Randal's psyche as well as answer some of those questions you most likely have about him. I referenced a shattered picture frame way back in the earlier chapters, which is indeed the same picture frame that Randal mentions holding a photo of his parents on their wedding day.**

 **-I tried to have a somewhat larger role in this chapter as it's been a while since I've had her in a chapter.**


	34. Chapter 34: The Youth-Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 34: The Youth-Part One

Carrie Krueger's house was probably not the most inviting house to be at, especially at nighttime. The otherworldly howls and moans of ghouls and ghosts frightened even the bravest of hearts. Despite the chilling and unwelcoming atmosphere a few people had dared to visit Carrie and volunteered to help her on this quiet Sunday night.

"Could this house maybe be, you know less spooky?" asked Grif, shivering as the stepped up the ladder into the attic, not to mention there was a chilling draft passing through the rafters into the house.

"Relax Grif, it's just nerves," insisted Brian as they began to climb up into the musty and quiet attic as they looked around for any sign of the ghost girl.

"Where do you think, she disappeared off to this time?" asked Grif scanning the surroundings.

"I'd have to say she's trying to spook us," said Brian looking at the mounds of clutter as if expecting to see something burst out of the cardboard boxes to frighten them. Darwin and a certain maroon badger were the last ones to ascend the ladder before it mysteriously sealed itself once more leaving them in shock.

"Okay, where's the nearest window, because I'm jumping out of it!" said Grif in a panic before the maroon badger grabbed ahold of him, refusing to let him budge.

"We're not going anywhere until we help Carrie out!" said Mike Badgero with a growl as he restrained the griffin. The badger was a good friend of Brian's and had volunteered to come along. He was dressed in his standard attire of a gray and blue striped hoodie as well as khaki pants.

"Dude, I have a bad feeling about all this, why did the attic seal itself then?" said Grif still a bit jumpy.

"Because I did it, duh!"

The disembodied voice of Carrie startled all four of them, as they jumped. The voice was close, but they couldn't tell where it had originated from and the echo of the attic didn't help, as it reverberated off the walls, taking them by surprise.

"Oh, I suppose I should remove this little spell," said Carrie and within a second she reappeared.

"How did you-" began Darwin in utter amazement.

"Disillusionment charm," said Carrie quickly answering their befuddled looks.

"You're a witch Carrie?" said Grif still confused.

"No, but I do have a certain skill in the Arcane arts."

"Right, so what's the plan Carrie?" asked Mike.

"Well, I would like to test out a new restoration spell I've got in the works, it just needs a bit of fine-tuning."

"I'm sorry, are you planning on testing this spell on one of us?" said Grif suspicious as Carrie grimaced.

"Uh yes indeed, I was hoping one of you might volunteer to do this," replied the ghost nervously as Brian, Mike, and Darwin all quickly stepped back leaving Grif standing on the spot. "Excellent Grif, I'm glad you're so willing to do this."

"But I didn't even-"

"Quiet Grif, I need intense concentration to make this spell work, and just try to relax, there might be some discomfort and some vomiting as a side effect."

"Oh, I'm loving this already," mused Grif wearily as Carrie waved her hands preparing to launch the spell at him. With a torrent of bright green energy, Grif was hit with Carrie's magic that felt like he had sprinted into a brick wall causing the griffin to fall to his knees and struggle to get back up. Waves shook his brain and caused his teeth to chatter before the effects of the spell began to subside and fade away as the griffin sat panting on the rickety wooden beams before getting up.

"Oh no, this isn't good," murmured Carrie uneasily as Grif got up.

"What is it?" asked Grif, and he was startled by the change of his voice's change of volume and pitch, it sounded like his voice sure, but something was off about it...

As the griffin tried to step forward he tripped on something and he stopped himself from falling forward by grabbing ahold of an old chest. Grif looked down at his own pant legs to realize that they had actually been the things that had caused him to trip up. But that wasn't right, his pants had been baggy, but never on this scale before. As the griffin looked up he came to the sudden realization that Brian, Darwin, Mike and even Carrie who was floating were taller than him.

"Whoa, did you all hit a growth spurt?" asked Grif, annoyed by his off-pitch voice.

"Um Grif, do you realize what happened to you?" asked Brian. "Mike, care to explain it?"

"You're a kid dude, like a little toddler," said Mike not bothering to ease Grif into the news. "You're like five or six."

"Are you kidding me?" asked Grif, startled by the sudden news. "Was this an aftereffect of the spell?"

"I'd assume so, let me see if I can sort it out," said Carrie, immediately prepping another spell.

"I think I'm good," insisted Grif cutting across Carrie before she could perform another spell. "Besides, I don't feel like getting some other unforeseen side effect as a result."

"Okay kiddo," snickered Mike in amusement as the griffin frowned and stomped his foot against the floor.

"Stop treating me like a child!" said Grif, but this only cemented that he sounded more like a pouting child and this caused the other four to all burst into laughter. "Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry, but this is just so funny," said Brian clutching a stitch in his side as a result.

"Let's just look at the matter at hand, how are we going to explain to my parents that I magically jumped back six or seven years of my life?" said Grif stressed out.

"You're crafty, I'm sure you'll think of something given enough time," replied Darwin as the griffin shook his head.

"Unless someone has a pair of stilts I don't think I'll pass any height requirements I'm supposed to."

"At least it's not all bad, Carrie will have a solution in no time, right Carrie?" asked Brian confidently as the ghost girl grimaced and shook her head.

"I think it should take several days now," said Carrie shaking her head.

"What, but you said it wouldn't take more than a few seconds!"

"Yes, but unless you want to be poisoned I think you should pass on it," said Carrie as Grif facepalmed.

"Great," said Grif. "Well, you're a master of illusion Carrie, could you make a spell for me to keep appearances up for the meantime?"

"That I can," said Carrie. "But this time I need your permission."

"Why on earth would you need my permission?"

"Just in case I mess up, it's not my fault."

"Thanks, that's very reassuring," said Grif dryly as the ghost girl prepped a new spell.

"Here you go!"

A concentrated beam of bright green light hit him. For Grif, it seemed like nothing changed at all. But from the relieved sighs of the others, he could tell that it had actually worked.

"No nasty side effects," asked the griffin apprehensively as they nodded.

"None as far as I can tell," reassured Brian.

"Perfectly normal and looking like you're the right age again," replied Mike as Grif nodded.

"That's good news, for once."

"Okay, Grif listen up, this spell will only hold up for eight hours or so, when it starts to wear off, you'll have a serious time explaining this to others.

"Thanks for the warning Carrie, I better get back to my house, curfew and all that," said Grif walking back down the step ladder. His smaller body had trouble stepping down from one step to another due to his shorter legs and he had to cling onto the top step for dear life as he lowered his feet down to the next step.

"Grif, I'm really sorry about this," said Carrie's voice at the last moment, forcing the griffin to pop his head back up into the attic.

"Apology accepted, but could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Your teleportation skills could come in handy because these stairs aren't helping."

* * *

A loud cracking noise resounded on the street corner as Grif and Carrie appeared outside of Grif's house.

"Uh, I think I'm going to toss up my breakfast," said Grif woozily as he placed his hands heavily on his knees to allow himself a few moments rest.

Grif's house wasn't too extravagant, but it showed clear signs that a lot of attention was put into detail. All the hedges were properly trimmed. The grass out front was a vibrant green and it almost was hard to look at. The front door was adorned with a fancy metal knocker and as Grif walked up to it he shrugged.

"My folks' place," said Grif, nervously as if he was afraid Carrie was judging him.

"It looks very nice," said Carrie smiling as she looked around.

"Thanks, well, here goes nothing," said Grif, finally ringing the doorbell.

The door opened up to reveal a pure white eagle, with a piercing gaze, intensified by his glasses which gave the impression that he was examining them with careful observation. He was wearing khaki pants and a dark green dress shirt.

"Welcome home son, you got your work done?"

"That I did dad," said Grif with almost a timid response.

"Alright," said the older eagle shifting his glasses as if trying to detect his son was lying or not. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Carrie Krueger, Carrie, this is my dad, Connelly Sullivan and my mom, Iris Sullivan," said Grif introducing his mother as well, who had just walked around the corner, unlike Connelly she was a lioness with bright red fur and yellow dress.

"Hello," replied Carrie waving to them. "So now that we've got that project done, what are you going to do Monday?"

"Probably submit that report I've been working on with Jake, anyways I'll catch you later Carrie."

With a brief flash, Carrie disappeared, leaving just the Sullivans in attendance.

"So, mind if I head upstairs and catch some shuteye?" asked Grif hastily.

"It's fine," replied Connelly smoothing out his feathers giving himself the same windswept appearance his son was so fond of. "Just be sure not to skip breakfast like last time."

"Noted," said the griffin, quickly giving them a warm smile before rushing off to bed and closing the door shut tight as he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.

 _'How am I ever going to explain this to them?'_ pondered Grif sighing as he looked around his room.

The bed was almost like being placed in the middle of a vast ocean as he looked around at the various posters he had rebelliously posted on his walls despite his parents' protests which consisted of motorcycles, rock bands, and movies plastered to them. In front of his bed was a small TV with a game station still plugged into it. The emerald green glinted strangely and ominously as moonlight entered the room. Grif sighed what he'd pay to be back to normal...

* * *

The griffin awoke, still in the awkwardly large clothes he had fallen asleep in. The most bothersome part was, he realized the spell that Carrie cast on him was starting to lose effect as it flickered in and out of disguise as he examined his arm.

"This isn't good," mumbled Grif to himself as he attempted to pick up his already loaded backpack off the seat it was laying only to find that it hardly budged at that his smaller arms struggled to move it. With a huff of annoyance, the griffin kicked off the chair using his wings to propel himself backward but hitting the ground hard as the backpack fell on top of the struggling griffin, which took him a while to shimmy it off his chest.

"Okay, now how am I going to get you downstairs?" said the griffin quietly to himself.

The muffled thuds of Grif lugging his backpack down the stairs one at a time made a significant ruckus in the Sullivan household at this hour. The griffin grimaced upon hearing this clatter and hoped it wouldn't alert his parents as he tiptoed towards the door and thrust it open before it snapped closed behind him.

Grif sighed in relief as he attempted to drag his backpack along with him. The silent morning was a change for Elmore. The town had never learned to take things slowly, and for small town kids like Jake and Grif, the change was a bit jarring, though they had gotten used to it eventually. Elmore had its flaws and its own shortcomings, but it was a nice enough place if you avoided all the random events that could happen, but when they were dragged into another adventure with Gumball and Darwin it was always fun and thrilling.

"Grif?" said a rather startled voice that was all too familiar to him causing him to spin around quickly.

"Oh no, you've got me mistaken for someone else," said the tiny griffin looking at Jake who chuckled rather amused by the fact.

"Talk about a blast from the past," said Jake grinning. "How are you doing kiddo?"

"Very funny," said Grif in annoyance as he frowned back at the coyote. "Are you going to tease me about my height the whole time?"

"I have to say, you don't quite stack up to what I imagined you'd be like Grif."

"Oh, ha ha, just move your lazy butt and help me carry this."

"Are you planning on going to school like this?"

"That's the general idea."

"But how? You're like two years old."

"Really? I'm like six now, thanks to Carrie's magic."

"Witchy woman, huh?"

"Let's focus on the matter at hand, I need to get into Elmore Junior High. How exactly am I going to do it now?"

"Well, I think I may have an idea, but it involves the help of a Watterson."

"Well that's easy, I'm sure Darwin could cover me in my classes."

"I was actually talking about a different Watterson..."

* * *

The bustle for the griffin dodging through the hallway was now particularly difficult with even the sixth graders towering over him. Thankfully, Jake stuck close to the small griffin guiding him through the crowds and bringing around the corner.

"How are you managing Grif?" asked the dusty brown coyote as the griffin clumsily bumped into his larger classmates.

"This is a pain, I can't see anything."

"Should I describe it for you, or would you like to sit on my shoulders?"

"This is serious business Jake!" said Grif his voice a high-pitched squeak.

"Relax, there she is."

Grif looked at a small pink rabbit, probably no older than three or four years old. Who starred at the small griffin as if surprised to see someone almost as young as she was in the school.

"That's your plan? Get Anais's help?"

"Yep."

"What do you think she'll help me pass off as some child prodigy? Because I'm not that smart."

"Yeah, I can tell. Just keep a cool head and you'll learn a thing or two, buddy."

"Out of all your ideas, this one has to be your worst."

"Hey, it's still not as bad as one of your 'sure-fire plans'."

"You're not going to bring that up, again are you?" replied the griffin somewhat irked by the mention of it.

"Just follow Anais's lead and I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Right."

The griffin sighed as he walked up to the small pink rabbit and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to face him very suddenly surprising the griffin and he took a step back as a precautionary measure.

"Uh, hey Anais," said the griffin awkwardly pulling up his floppy sleeves as he tried to find the right words.

"Grif?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else wears a helmet like that?" replied Anais amused.

"Okay, fair point," sighed Grif.

"I would ask you how you got turned into a kid, but I think you've already had enough trouble trying to explain it to everyone else."

"Thanks, Anais."

As Grif attempted to pull his bag over his shoulder, a certain principal crossed into the hallway taking notice of the small griffin and Anais.

"Young man."

Grif jumped in fright quickly turning around to face Principal Brown as he gave him an enthusiastic salute.

"Yes, sir? What is it?"

"Young man, your attire is ridiculously out of proportion," said the principal critically and the griffin gave a mental sigh of relief as he was glad the principal hadn't recognized him. "You are to go to Lost and Found and find something more suitable to wear."

"Wait, what?"

"Young Mr.-" Principal Brown struggled trying to find a name for the young griffin, a vein throbbing in his temple due to concentration.

"Hilts, James Hilts," said Grif inventing a name for himself as Anais raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Hilts, I suggest you go there immediately before class starts."

"Understood," said Grif as the principal slipped away.

"Looks like you pulled the short straw this time."

"Maybe, but things can't be so bad, right?"

Grif was wrong in so many ways, as soon as he arrived at the Lost and Found he was greeted by Rocky fortunately enough. However, the clothes that Rocky had laid out were somehow worse than what he was wearing, there was an old tie-dye t-shirt and a pair of orange cargo shirts three sizes too large for him.

"Oh, come on Rocky there has to be something else."

"Hey just your luck there is!" said Rocky enthusiastically pulling out a pink feathered hat and placing it on top of Grif's head much to the griffin's dismay.

"Really, this, is it?"

"Yep, now I suggest you get to class, you don't have much longer until the day starts."

"Gee thanks."

"Your welcome little dude," said Rocky, not picking up the griffin's sarcasm as he walked away shaking his head.

"This day is going to be a complete disaster," mutter Grif pulling out his phone and dusting it off to check his notifications before pocketing it once again, Jake was no doubt already in class early to avoid Miss Simian's grumpy morning mood, but after all, she was always in a grumpy mood and nothing could change that.

"You got everything sorted out, right?" asked Anais, as the griffin nodded.

"So, what classes are you in?"

"Physics, Algebra, and World History," replied Anais viewing the red and white griffin with suspicion as the griffin gave an awkward grin.

"You mind if I, you know join you?"

"If you can keep up sure, though you know how there are different kinds of intelligences Grif, well I don't think that you have any of them."

"Very funny Anais," said Grif unamused as he crossed his arms defiantly.

"Come on, we've got work to do," said Anais setting off at a brisk pace in front of Grif who did his best to keep up with the tiny and determined rabbit.

"Could you slow it down a tad?"

"Not if we want to make it to class."

"Okay boss," said Grif, nodding.

"Just do as I say and you should be fine."

"Gotcha."

* * *

They enter the classroom after some difficult as they couldn't reach the knob forcing them to knock on the door for help before the lanky teacher came over and opened it allowing them entry. The small griffin was now suddenly terrified at all the objects that now loomed over him from his new perspective, however, he quickly moved to a seat next to a strange looking fox of sorts who was wearing a white and turquoise number twenty-three shirt.

"You don't mind if I sit, here right?"

The fox slowly shook his head and gestured that the seat was all his, as he clambered into it the fox returned to flipping through pages in his science textbook.

"Talk about a quiet class, am I the only extrovert here?" asked the griffin to Anais who raised an eyebrow and merely returned to scribbling some in her notebooks regarding something about the laws of thermodynamics.

The classroom was admittedly dull. After attendance was taken and Anais explained why Grif was there, they got right into the lesson. Grif could tell that the teacher was a substitute due to his name scribbled with chalk up on the blackboard and the fact he stammered why talking about the ideal gas law and how it related to physics. Another sure sign that the sub was new to all this was the fact that he constantly checked the clock as if hoping that if he concentrated on it long enough that the hours would just pass by on their own. Grif yawned, it was the ideal spring day to be outside, not wasting his time learning about something he wasn't going to formally learn until another two years had passed. He was certain the Jake and the others were enjoying their time in the spring air as the weather was now nice enough to take gym outdoors. The griffin couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at this however he continued to gaze at his pencil as if hoping that it would spring off the page and continue to write his notes for him. Thankfully, after what felt like an eternity the bell finally rang signaling the end of the period as the griffin jumped out of the large desk he was using and landed right in front of Anais.

"How can you tolerate levels of boredom like this?" asked Grif making sure to stifle his yawn as the sub left the room in a hurry. "I mean some classes like Mr. Small's nearly puts me to sleep, but this is worse. Much worse."

"It isn't that bad," stressed the pink rabbit as the griffin shook his head trying to shake off his drowsiness.

"I don't want to hear anything else about physics until I actually enter the eighth grade. What's your next class anyways?"

"Current topics in Science," said Anais grinning in amusement as the griffin gave a groan of misery.

"Do we have to go to that class?"

"Well, you're still not the right age again and you promised to be my learning buddy for the day remember. So, let's go, my friend, I'm certain you'll love it!" exclaimed the pink rabbit teasing him, causing the griffin to enthusiastically traipsed after her as skipped down the hallway.

"How does she do this?" asked Grif sourly as he walked after her.

It had turned out to be a strange day for the griffin, but after all, this was Elmore which meant that strange occurrences had the likelihood of happening on a daily basis. There were some definite downsides to all this and he was relieved that no one had recognized him yet, but he was confident that Jake would have his back until he returned to the right age. He just hoped that Carrie would be able to reverse the spell as she had promised, besides he couldn't have more than a day or waiting while Carrie perfected her spell. In the meantime, he just had to hang out with Anais for a while and he was sure that it wasn't going to be that bad.

* * *

 **I certainly didn't expect of this new chapter to take a month to write, however that's what ended up happening thanks to a few delays and some new things in my schedule. I'll probably have to cut some chapters that weren't too critical to the story out now, but I think it's for the best. Anyways, if you liked this chapter be sure to fave, follow or review, and I really appreciate the recent reviews, they always bring a smile to my face and I really appreciate all the support. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Youth- Part Two_**

 **Grif is forced to seek dire measures to curing his aging problem by venturing into the Forest of Doom.**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-** **I like how this chapter focused a bit more on Grif. We finally get to see his parents and one can immediately tell that his dad is a bit of a strict man... er eagle. I also read it while imagining Grif with a child-like voice that just added to the humor. All in all good chapter and I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out for the griffin** **.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Mike Badgero is not my character in fact he is owned by UnknownSalvation a pretty fantastic writer in his own right, I hope I kept true to the character and if you're ever interested in seeing his works I recommend that you should check them out.**

 **-I mainly wanted to shift the focus away from characters like Jake, Kelsey, and Randal to give more time to characters like Anais, Brian, Darwin, Mike, and Carrie.**

 **-This is the first time we've seen Grif's parents on screen if you will, they will probably only have minor roles in this story however.**


	35. Chapter 35: The Youth-Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 35: The Youth-Part Two

The lunchroom of Elmore Junior High was terribly out of proportion as a certain red and white griffin jumped up, propelling himself with his wings slightly in order to grab a handful of napkins as he followed the child prodigy to over where she was sitting.

"So, what now?" said Grif, monitoring the students walking by and immediately digging into his lunch.

"Well, keep doing what we're doing until the school day until you find a way to reverse your aging problem."

"I just hope Carrie can figure something out."

In that split-second, the aforementioned ghost girl hovered to their table to stop next to the tiny griffin.

"What happened to you?"

"Lost and Found," answered Grif unenthusiastically indicating unsatisfactorily at the clothes he was wearing. "These things are tacky, even by my standards."

"Anyways, Grif I may have a solution to your aging problem."

"Really?" asked the griffin his ears perking up as he waited with anticipation for the ghost to answer.

"Well, there are some ingredients in the Forest of Doom that we could use to make a potion to reverse the effects of the spell," answered Carrie somewhat apprehensively as if not wanting to goad Grif into such an idea.

"Well, let's do it then!" said Grif hopping up in his seat to stand level with Carrie.

"You don't know how dangerous the Forest of Doom is, do you?"

"Ah, it can't be that bad!" insisted the griffin with a foolhardy smile as the ghost sighed.

"Why was I afraid that you would say that?"

"You know me, always willing to go for a thrill."

"One day, your leap before you look attitude will get you into serious trouble," interrupted Anais sternly as the griffin waved his paw dismissively.

"If it means getting out of classes then count me in!"

Anais sighed. "I'll be sure to change the records to indicate that you got dismissed by your parents or something."

"Be sure to go to Sev for the forged signature."

"Ugh…" sighed Anais facepalming at the fact. "I will try to tolerate him."

"Good, well, I should probably find some like-minded friends," said the griffin already with an idea who to bring along.

* * *

The dusty brown coyote and border collie stepped out of their classroom somewhat startled as they had been promptly dismissed with Miss Simian waving them out of the classroom in annoyance as the sudden announcement had disrupted her lecture. The duo had quickly packed their bags and left in order to avoid the potential wrath of the elderly baboon. Neither of them had any idea what was going on as the headed towards the main entrance of the school while giving a friendly farewell to Rocky before a hushed voice caught their attention.

"Hey, over here!"

The two stopped and looked around the corner to see the forms of Grif and Carrie in the corner who promptly grabbed them and dragging them around the corner.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Evelyn frowning at the short Grif and then turning her gaze to the ghost girl.

"I'd expect this has something to do with Grif wanting to return to the right age again?" asked Jake brushing his hair back while Evelyn turned to him.

"Why is it that whenever something goes on in this town I'm the last one to hear about it, and what's with all these strange occurrences lately?"

"Believe me, Ev, in Elmore strange occurrences happen daily, especially if you're hanging out with Gumball and Darwin."

"I'll take your word for it," said Evelyn shaking her head.

"So, Carrie has told me that my solution to this aging problem is somewhere in the Forest of Doom and I'm going to retrieve it," said Grif addressing the coyote and the border collie.

"Are you trying to guilt-trip us into going along with you?" asked Evelyn eying the small griffin with suspicion.

"No, I'm just giving a warning of what I'm going to be doing, I thought you would appreciate it," said Grif tapping his fingers together.

"I might as well as keep an eye on you to make sure you don't do anything foolish."

"Hey."

The coyote shrugged in response as the griffin frowned before changing the subject.

"Our best bet is probably to split up and cover more ground, besides I'm sure we'll need plenty of eyes to find a location where this herb or whatever can be found."

"Actually, it's quite abundant towards the center."

"Or we could just search there," said Grif eying Carrie as if thankful for the correction.

"Don't be so grateful right now, the center of the forest is the most dangerous and deadly part," said Evelyn adjusting her blue jean jacket as Grif let out a low whimper. "Still, I would be remiss if I didn't at least try to help you out on your quest."

"Thank you so much, Evelyn," said Grif a wave of relief washing over his face as he looked at his tacky clothes. "Hopefully whatever I have to do isn't more embarrassing than wearing this."

* * *

The cool and dark entrance of the Forest of Doom had an unpleasant feel to it, almost as if the trees themselves were watching them as the four of them arrive just at the outskirts of the haunted forest. Each of them had preemptively changed into almost a pair of work clothes preemptively in case they get caught in the spiky brambles that were plentiful in the forest and grew in large patches making the path itself almost un-walkable. They were sure to get lost at least once or twice in this forest if they weren't careful. As if anticipating this Carrie stretched out her hand to shoot a ball of light out from it with immediately caught ahold of one of the high branches of the tree causing light to shine down on them like a crystalline chandelier illuminating the path.

"Wow, I never knew you could do that!" exclaimed Grif, with such childlike wonderment Jake couldn't help but chuckle slightly at this. "Oh, shut up."

Jake bit his lower lip to ensure that he didn't continue to chuckle in amusement as the griffin looked into the thick underbrush.

"Do we have to go in here, it seems pretty… unsettling," said the small red and white griffin shivered slightly.

"Come on Grif, I'm sure it is just nerves," said the dusty brown coyote giving an encouraging smile to his small friend.

"Let's see if I can get a bird's eye view on this," replied Grif as he attempted to take off his wings feebly flapping in response to this.

He struggled to get off the ground managing to shoot up like a cork at the end and land in one of the higher branches of the gnarled and elderly trees. The griffin sighed in defeat as his friends looked up at him concerned as he was only holding onto the branch due to the back of his tie-dye t-shirt.

"I'll be right up," said Jake bravely as he began making his way up the tree, finding any possible handholds and footholds making a slow ascent to the top as he slipped and shakily recovered his footing both Evelyn and Carrie cringed.

"Carefully, we don't want two people in trouble now," said Evelyn. "There's a place to put your foot over there."

"Yeah, thanks for the help," replied Jake dryly as he struggled to ascend his feet kicking furiously to get to the next branch losing some momentum in the process.

"Ah, you're making me tired me tired just looking at you," replied Evelyn. "Tell you what I'll throw you a banana."

"…Very funny," said Jake frowning as he unhitched the griffin from where he was stuck. "C'mon buddy, let's get out of here.

"I'm taking the expressway down," said Grif leaning backward and falling off the tree fortunately enough Carrie quickly responded with summoning a pair of pillows, softening the griffin's landing who hit the ground with a soft thunk.

"Well, it sure is handy to have someone who knows how to work spells," sighed Jake in relief as he too dropped down landing on his feet. "When we make it out of here, however, we need to talk about your behavior though."

"Gee, okay dad," replied Grif rolling his eyes at the coyote.

"So Jake, I know that this isn't the right time to talk about this, but are you going to take Kelsey on a date anytime soon?" asked Evelyn causing the coyote to blush at the question.

"Well, I've been meaning- Let's just focus on getting what we need and getting out of this forest," said Jake switching the subject abruptly as the griffin spectated, all the while sporting a wide grin on his face.

"Can't take the heat?"

"Quiet Grif!"

"Anyways, let's get going," said Carrie cutting them off. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and only so much daylight left before dusk."

"Yeah, I don't really feel like being stuck like this."

"Yeah, but you definitely are cuter like this, just saying."

"Don't get me started Ev."

"Yeah, Grif can be a ferocious ball of feathers when he wants to be."

"He's too fuzzy to be threatening."

"I'm right here you know," sighed Grif in annoyance.

"How do you ever get anything done if you just stand around talking all the time?" asked Carrie, somewhat frustrated by their lack of action as Jake and Grif exchanged looks.

"Was that question rhetorical or what?"

"Nevermind, let's get going."

The four of them traveled deeper and deeper within the eerie forest. Every sound kept them on high alert, whether it be a rustling of the leaves or the call of some strange creature within the forest. Whatever was here was no friendly, and they should keep their guard up. The pale light summoned by Carrie gave a thin beam of light that they could use to spot the path and avoid any potential roadblock. Unfortunately, the path strayed off more often than not and they were forced to walk through thick brambles that tore at their ankles and tugged at their clothes. This was enough to slow them down, but not deter them. Jake's sweaty bangs were a detriment as they continuously flopped down in front of his eyes, while Grif had his khaki shorts torn and shredded while Evelyn got several thorns in her arms trying to force her way through the brambles. Carrie, of course, being a ghost had no difficulty moving through the clutter and constantly throwing out words of encouragement to goad them into moving faster, despite their protests.

"It's just a bit further."

"How often has she said that? I've honestly lost count," said Grif his eyes focused on the ground in case of brambles or any small and ferocious creatures the forest might be hiding.

"I don't know, but that path out of the forest keeps getting more and more tempting," said Jake, his eyes drooping as he stumbled along the path in a daze.

"We're here!" exclaimed Carrie excitedly as they entered a small clearing where rays of sunshine from the lowering sun just managed to hit the floor of the forest despite how densely the trees were now packed, hardly affording them enough room to squeeze through.

"About time," grumbled Grif. "So, what is it that we have to retrieve."

"That's the trick, we're retrieving something guarded by one of the creatures of the forest, a dragon with some serious anger management issues called Needlefang. What we're looking for is the roots of the cander tree."

"Oh, I'm loving it so far, how will we know where to search?" asked Grif raising an eyebrow.

"If we can sneak past Needlefang or outsmart him then I'm sure we'll have no trouble finding what we need," answered Carrie as the trio listened intently.

The small outcropping the entered had the reek of the dragon as soon as they entered. They couldn't see much from the tall shadows surrounding them. However, on the far end of the room, Grif spotted an emerald scaled dragon about the size of a pickup truck huddled in the corner, his nostrils letting out puffs of smoke as he slept. The creature stirred ever so slightly as if he could somewhat sense their presence, Needlefang seemed not to really acknowledge his presence.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" said Grif in an urgent whisper as he vaulted over the downed tree they were hiding behind and started to creep slowly towards the base of a red, rocky outcropping towards the green dragon.

This time the dragon acknowledges his presence lifting up his head, hissing and letting his acidic saliva hit the ground curling up into toxic fumes that made the griffin gag as the coyote tried to follow him only to be stopped by Evelyn who put a hand across his chest.

"Don't worry, Grif will be fine, Needlefang is probably just trying to scare him off."

"That's not Needlfang," replied the ghost girl, already more pale than she was usually.

"What?"

Evelyn and Jake noticed that the fumes seemed to be some sort of the warning system for the smaller dragon to start as they saw the red rock-face that Grif was next to shift suddenly as the nostrils of an elderly dragon lifted out of the soil blowing of mounds of dirt of them and picking up Grif who clung to the dragon's snout for dear life. The crimson red dragon shook his head much like a dog to get the remaining clumps of dirt from his scales as his orange pupilless eyes scanned around until focusing on the griffin perched on his snout.

"Who dares to disturb my slumber?" asked the crimson dragon, his sharp needle-like teeth gnashing in annoyance.

"Just a simple traveler who is trying to make his way into and through the forest," said Grif timidly as the booming voice of the dragon made the ground even shake.

"Really? And why come to this desolate place?"

"I am only looking for the most potent and dangerous creatures in the forest, and I must say, that so far you take the cake," replied Grif keeping his cool as the dragon placed a single claw on his head and forcing him against his snout as there was little for the small kid to do about it.

"The lesser creatures of the forest are not of my concern, only you little runts must worry about them."

"And worry we do, most people stay out of the forest because of them."

"Is that right?"

"Oh yes, they are dreadfully frightening."

"And are you thoroughly unsettled by me?"

"I am just shaking in my boots at your sheer majesty and size," said Grif, trying to convince the dragon of this fact.

"You amuse me little tyke, what is your name?"

"I don't think the mighty Needlefang would care about one as lowly as I," said Grif with a small bow to show respect towards the towering dragon.

"You're quite right, but I'm more interested in your kind. I don't recall the smell of your species before."

"That's because I am a griffin, half-eagle, and half-lion, so you would definitely not know of me."

"Hmm interesting, tell me, how does a griffin taste?" asked the crimson dragon an evil smile crossing his face as he shook his snout slightly causing the griffin to tumble off though he recovered in midair and landed gracefully on the ground.

"I don't see the point of eating me, I'd hardly make a mouthful."

"What about your friends, would that make a mouthful?" asked the dragon slyly as Grif tried to wipe the expression of shock from his face.

"What friends? I came here alone and that is quite the presumption."

"Do not try to fool me you wretched little tyke!" boomed the dragon as he lowered his amber eye to be level with the griffin's face. "I know the scents of many wanders through this wood, so tell me, where are your canine companions, and the undead presence that pollutes the air."

Grif backed away and the dragon seemed to content in revealing in the small griffin's fear than to look for where the others might be. Instead of keeping his luminous eyes fixed on him.

"I wonder, what other secrets are you hiding in that skull of yours?" said Needlefang amused as he prodded the griffin in the head with one of his talons.

"Why don't you keep your filthy claws off me you overgrown wyrm."

"Watch your tone little Icarus, otherwise my fire will melt your wings," replied the dragon, curling up and letting is tail swing across the forest floor scarring and knocking over a few trees. The dragon opened his mouth letting his forked tongue to flick from side to side as the griffin stared back at him wearily.

Admittedly Grif was annoyed that Jake, Evelyn, and Carrie hadn't gotten to the roots of the tree that they need to solve his age problem. Instead, he was facing down a dragon that could turn him into a marshmallow at any second. It wasn't the least bit comforting as the dragon finally broke the silence.

"Do you like riddles little birdie?"

"On occasion, they're fun to try to solve."

"I get bigger when I eat, yet give me water and I die, what am I?"

"That would be… fire."

"Ah, let's match wits then shall we, if you stump me, I will let you and you little friends who are trying to find those root leave, if not, well, I could always use a midnight snack."

"Very well, my turn then?"

"Go ahead little Icarus."

"You see me in water, but I never get wet, what am I?"

The dragon paused smoke billowing from each nostril as he concentrated at what it could possibly be, muttering words under his breath in what must be his own language as he sat pensively, but very much occupied. Though the griffin wasn't entirely certain that the dragon was interested in the others, more along the line of just Grif as he was offering the ancient dragon a form of entertainment he had not experienced in a long time.

"A reflection, as you see it, but water does not touch it."

"Correct."

* * *

For Jake, Evelyn, and Carrie they were at the base of the cander tree already tugging at the roots.

"We should have come prepared by taking a shovel or something," said the dusty brown coyote as he leaned back using his two paws and two feet to get enough leverage to yank out a few roots.

"Or you could do this", interrupted Evelyn as she used a sharp rock to cut several roots from the grouping.

"Or that…" replied Jake as if he knew it was an option all along.

"This should be enough to help Grif with his aging problem," said Carrie thrilled as she took the ingredients from the coyote and the border collie with enthusiasm as she teleported away and returned a few split seconds later.

"So, now it's just a matter of finding Grif."

Something dripping onto Jake's shoulder stopped the group. It was a thick film of saliva that Jake touched perplexed, but he knew that it had to have come from above him. As for Evelyn, she had turned as pale as Carrie.

"Um, Jake, don't look up, just keep walking this way and don't look back."

"Wait, what exactly is behind me?"

"Just don't look."

But Jake didn't have to stop himself from looking, hairy thin legs placed against the base of the tree gave him a pretty good sign of what animal was behind him as he heard the soft clicking sharp fang flashed in front of his face.

"Uh, Carrie!" yelped the coyote, disturbed as the large arachnid climbed down from the tree in front of the three of them, its black beady eyes looking at them hungrily. Its fat body was almost not supported by its legs as it crept stealthily across the ground towards Evelyn in particular, who was now too paralyzed to move as it eyed her and reared its ugly head ready to sink its fangs into its prey…

"NO!" shouted Jake as he picked up a rock and tossed it at the spider, hitting it square in the head and forcing it to turn its head around and click its pincers menacingly at the coyote.

The trio ran without a second thought, Jake, sliding down the steep slope underneath the spider as it lunged at him and failed miserably.

Grif and Needlefang were still trapped in their battle of wits, Needlefang picking his teeth with his claws as Grif sat thinking of what the crimson dragon had meant in his words.

"What flies without wings? Time, I presume?"

"Correct, you are quite a bright bulb little one."

"Hey, don't call me that, I'm supposed to be several years older."

"For us dragons, age is but a number, look at you after all. You may seem young, but your mind is still the same. Besides, there's nothing wrong with reliving a bit of the past."

The sound of rustling trees alerted the emerald and crimson dragons as they cocked their heads in the direction of the noise with suspicion as Jake, Evelyn, and Carrie all came climbing out from the underbrush. Both Jake and Ev looked slightly torn up and exhausted but very much alive, Ev was sporting a small gash on her cheek, while the coyote had a cut above his eyebrow as they came rushing out into the open.

"More company?" asked Needlefang his eyes narrowing slightly as a small pack of spiders came out into the clearing. "I see we have an infestation."

The dragon reared up onto his hind legs as he summoned white fire that Grif, Jake, and Evelyn could all feel and staggered back at the extreme intensity of the heat as they shielded themselves from the heat.

"We got to go!" said Jake behind gritted teeth as the heat began to overwhelm them.

"Leave that to me!" replied Carrie as she grabbed ahold of them and teleported them from the clearing to her house in a whirl of colors and madness.

Needlefang turned around to see the flash of light just as they disappeared from the Forest of Doom. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to miss the little griffin he had talked to, he was far less alone than ever before as he allowed himself to smile as he curled up in the warm cinders of the fire that was softly burning due to the aftermath of the spider attack. At least the griffin was well on his way in the town of Elmore, a part of the ancient dragon thought he might return someday, but who knew what the future would hold as he yawned lazily and the emerald dragon once again took up guard.

"Taking a break wouldn't hurt you son."

Grif panted as he pulled himself back off the floor of Carrie's attic. All four of them had been tossed to the floor as a result of the teleportation. Evelyn was the first to get up and dust herself off.

"Let's never do something like that again."

"Seconded," groaned Jake as he ruffled his fur and wiped at the dry blood above his eyebrow.

"So, we got the cure for you, all you need do is eat it and you'll revert back to the right age," said Carrie simply as she handed it to him as well as his old clothes. The griffin quickly rushed downstairs to change back into his regular attire before taking the cander root.

* * *

The words of Needlefang were still fresh in his mind, maybe the old dragon was right, it was a sort of learning experience for him, he did miss being younger, but he didn't regret growing up. He was still the same person young or old. A child may view the world with wonder, but when they grow older they may lose it. Whatever the case, the grandpa of a dragon did give him a bit of new perspective on things, and perhaps he wasn't so bad after all. Grif coughed as he realized Evelyn who had grown impatient with the griffin's lack of action had force fed the cander root to him as he gagged before realizing his body had returned to its normal size.

"You could have been a bit gentler Evelyn," said Grif coughing as he looked at his hands and forearms, which were now the same size as they were before the transformation as he looked at her at eye level.

"You were taking your sweet time, so I decided to improvise," said Evelyn somewhat apologetically, but Grif had a strong feeling that she blamed Grif for running into the terrifying spiders of the forest.

"I mean, it all worked out in the end, thanks to Carrie of course."

"Ahem."

"And Jake."

"Ahem!"

"And you too Evelyn."

"Thank you," replied Evelyn with a genuine smile as she gave Grif a pat on the shoulder. "Anyways, we should all get home, and you, in particular, have to give a lengthy explanation to your parents."

"Great, mind giving me another assist Carrie?"

"Do you really think it will give you a sufficient excuse to avoid getting grounded?"

"It's worth a shot, and I could get used to this whole teleporting thing as well."

"Don't push your luck…"

* * *

 **I've really lost track of time with so much stuff on my mind with the end of high school graduation, exams, and more. However, seeing how it's summer I'll be sure to make up for lost time as well as finally finish The Outsider in the next several months. The story is reaching its close after all. After it is finished I don't know what I can possible do with all the free time. As for the future of The Outsiders characters... I can't really say until it's over. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Project_**

 **When Jake and Randal are paired together for a group project they must find a way to work together constructively all the while trying to refrain from causing trouble.**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Definitely a nice adventurous chapter. I think it's safe to say that their were a number of Lord of the rings/The Hobbit references in it that I really enjoyed. I also remember Needlefang. He is an OC Nomad created quite a while ago, so it's good to see him making an appearance in the story. Good to know that Grif learned a lesson from this experience, while entertaining a dragon at the same time.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This chapter was a little shorter than I would have liked, but I wanted to get this chapter done and out of the way to move onto new ones.**

 **-Most of the questions you have about Randal, and he's going to have a bit more of his past fleshed out in the next several chapters, which I am really looking forward to writing.**

 **-I tried to show off a bit of the quirks Jake and Grif have as well as give Ev a little more involvement rather than her small role she has had in previous chapters of The Outsider.**

 **-There were some not so secretively references, including Needlefang calling Grif 'Icarus' who obviously comes from Greek mythology.**


	36. Chapter 36: The Project

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 36: The Project

The garage was about the one place Randal could escape to in the evening. Almost every night he would sneak away here and tune his stuff up. I wasn't so bad, despite his greasy and grimy hands he enjoyed working with the mechanical aspects of his bike or whatever he had to tamper with that he could find. It was a good place to reflect on the day's events as he pulled out the flip phone from his pocket and checked his messages. There was still no response to his latest text to Evelyn. He was hoping that she would have responded as he had sent it several days ago and they hadn't chatted for several years, not since that incident. Randal placed the phone on the workbench with reverent care as he turned back to try to patch the small hole he had in his rear tire. He was hoping things would smooth over as Randal busied himself by spinning the wheel over and over again, each time gaining momentum. The pale white door behind him was thrust open, this told him he was not alone as a familiar face entered the room.

"You working again?" asked the weary voice of his adoptive father from the base of the brick stairs, as he walked onto the cool concrete that Randal was currently working on. The graying wolf was somewhere in his late forties and was still dressed in his work clothes.

"Hey Marshal," replied the gray wolverine, trying his best to act casual as Marshal leaned up against the work bench, as Randal spun the wheel causing the tired to go spinning off, bouncing along the ground before slamming into the garage door. "Should have put the bolts back on that."

"Your mom is worried about you," replied Marshall fetching the wheel and placing back in place.

"How so?" said Randal raising his eyebrow. "And she's not really my mother."

"Well, she likes to think of it as if you were," said Marshal shrugging. "You never seemed to accept the fact that we're your family now."

"Close enough to it, but not quite," replied Randal turning around, a lump burning in his throat. He never liked talking about his biological parents. It was always a sore subject, one he had never really gotten over, no matter how much time that passed. His father was missing, and his mother… His mother was gone, there was nothing that would change that.

The door opened for the second time for the evening to reveal a younger weasel, still fixing her hair in a bun.

"Good evening, Wendy."

"You should really take a break from all this you know," said the dark brown weasel, indicating to the stuff that was starting to clutter up in the garage due to Randal tinkering with them. Toolboxes were jumbled together and their contents were scattered across the floor without rhyme or reason. In order to make sense of the tools, the young wolverine had taken the liberty to use a different tape around each tool in order to color code them to a certain box with strips of tape of blue, lime green, orange, and gray marking them.

"Ah it's fine, I would rather have a busier workspace anyways, it helps take my mind off stuff," said the wolverine, hastily tightening his bike wheel back where it was supposed to be with his wrench.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to organize every now and again."

"I guess that's true," replied Randal grunting as he almost stripped the nut by tightening it too hard.

"Well, I'd hate to interrupt what you're doing, but it's time for dinner, so if you don't mind setting your stuff down so we can eat."

"Yeah, be right there," replied Randal, trying to keep a happy look on his face as Marshall enter the house silently.

"Something still bothering you?"

"Not really, it's all fine."

"Let me guess you have a few regrets."

"How did you-"

"Randal, I knew your mother quite well, she also bottled things up inside of her and bury them. Your mother was an incredible woman, do you remember much about her?"

"Not too much. Fuzzy memories really, she died when I was only eight."

"Well, she would be very proud to see you trying to change for the better."

The wolverine gave the older weasel a perplexed look as she quickly gave an explanation.

"Principal Brown called saying you haven't gotten into any incidents lately. And he's even considering to suggest you take honors courses next year as you've really started pulling up your grades."

"That's great and all, but can you tell me more about my mom."

"She was kind, but she had a serious temper when you got her fired up. Your father tried to ask her out on multiple occasions, she ended up knocking his stool out from under him in science class as a result. He ended up a bruise, and his pride hurt and she took him down to the nurse's office. They started dating not soon afterward," replied Wendy with a reminiscing smile.

"I wish I knew her."

"She lives on in your memories. Tell you what, I still think I have my high school yearbook, it's got notes from your father and mother in it. I'll give it to you sometime if I can find it."

"That sounds wonderful," said the wolverine grinning as Wendy stood up, giving the wolverine a small pat on the shoulder.

"Just don't shut us out, we want to help."

"I know you do."

Randal felt her hand lightly brush against the top of his head as he continued to work diligently. Sometimes he was ungrateful or hot headed, or perhaps just to blind to see it. He did have a mother, and she really did care about him.

* * *

The morning for Jake Wiley was no less a hassle as it had been previous days. Miss Simian was trying to work their fingers to the bones and relishing in her triumph as her students looked progressively more and more worn and miserable. Whatever sadistic pleasure Miss Simian got from it was not worth what it did to class morale. Gumball's head was flat against the desk not even bothering to look at the blackboard as she scraped the chalk up against it causing the coyote's spine to tingle. Grif looked particularly bored, a blank look on his face as he busied himself playing a game of tick-tack-toe with a certain purple fox who was a seat over from him. The red and white griffin yawned flapping his wings slightly in his seat almost causing Jake's well-taken notes to be knocked askew with the coyote scowling at him as a result.

"Does anyone want to prepare a eulogy? I think I may actually die of boredom," said the red and white griffin opening his faceshield to yawn and let his pink tongue loll out before snapping the plate closed again.

"It's a long one, isn't it?" said Brian, resting his head on his arm as he beat Grif for the second time though the Griffin wasn't particularly interested in the game.

"Well, we just need to hold out for a few more minutes," said Darwin, eying the clock eagerly.

"Come on, by that time Miss Simian will give us another boring project," groaned Grif in annoyance.

"Just be thankful for what you've got, summer is just around the corner after all," said Darwin cheerfully as Grif leaned back in his chair trying to get a good look out the window outside at the playground.

"Yeah, which means fresh air, something I can't get enough of," said Grif, giving a disdainful look at Miss Simian.

"Alright class, listen up! You will be receiving a project on the practical uses of different elements. Each of you will be assigned a partner as well as your respective elements."

They could tell that Miss Simian was greatly enjoying this as she intentionally made the groups unbalanced pairing people together that did not like each other or work well as a team, she was basically setting them up for failure and she knew it. When the fossilized baboon arrived at Jake's seat the coyote made the motion to team up with Grif or preferably someone who he got along with.

"No, I think not," replied the baboon evilly. "You'll be paired with Randal for this project. Best of luck to you two."

The vile grin of the baboon was still fresh in his mind as the coyote clenched his desk in fright as he got up to greet his partner at the back of the room. The gray wolverine, fortunately, seemed to be in a good mood today as he pulled up a chair for the dusty brown coyote to sit in. The wolverine was already collecting any notes he had on the element they were assigned.

"Morning Randal," said the coyote timidly, as he pulled his backpack off his shoulder and placed it on the desk next to him.

"Good morning Jake," replied the wolverine pleasantly. "So we're doing research on Nickel huh?"

"Atomic number: twenty-eight," Jake blurted out remembering the element off the top of his head as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Alright let's get started then," said the wolverine taking out a pencil and a sheet of paper to rewrite his notes condensing them down to bullet points, while Jake jumped in from time to time to add details or facts. This was quite productive for them as they managed to get a rough outline of what their project would look like before they departed class.

"Working with Tobias is a nightmare," said Grif shaking his head adamantly. "We've got carbon to research and as soon as I mentioned they are one of the main elements in proteins all he starts talking about is weight lifting, not like he could lift that much in the first place. A stiff breeze could knock him over for crying out loud."

"Not as bad as Tina," replied Gumball shaking his head. "She keeps giving a look that suggests that she wants to squash me."

"I've got Masami for a second time, at least we can work as more of a team this time around," said Brian ruffling his purple hair. "Darwin has got Sussie."

"It's horrible..."

"Well, at least it looks like you and Randal are getting along," said the purple fox changing the subject due to Darwin's response on the subject.

"He's alright, just a bit rough around the edges after all."

"Well, if anyone could get him back on the right track I bet Ev could," said Grif smiling, before adding. "You too of course Jake."

Jake nodded he did wonder what Randal was doing now.

* * *

The wolverine stared at the photograph in his hands quietly reminiscing. The sounds of footsteps down the hallway alerted Randal as his ears perked up and he tried to stuff the photograph and it's shattered frame back into his locker. The sight of Evelyn Luck surprised Randal as he waved at her, and she raised an eyebrow skeptically at what he was hiding behind his back. Usually, Evelyn would do her best to avoid Randal at any given moment.

"I see you changed your outfit, it looks cute," said Randal referring to the new pink cardigan and hairstyle she was sporting.

"Thanks," said Evelyn somewhat coolly but with a small smile as Randal turned his gaze towards the window.

"So, I was looking for you at lunch, I figured we should talk about a few things or something. I saw you and Jake working together on that project."

"Yeah, he's a bright kid, he's got a good future ahead of him," said Randal busying himself with stowing the picture away before he stopped himself.

"Randal, what's that in your hand?"

"It's nothing... it's just. Ah, you already know what it is," said the wolverine holding out the broken frame and photograph. The photo depicted a handsome young wolverine with bluish-gray fur in a black tuxedo hand-in-hand with a laughing jackal with long tan hair curled with a tiara on her head and in a beautiful wedding dress. Behind them, the maid of honor was a familiar looking weasel and the best man.

"You still have it?" asked Evelyn drawing closer to get a better look at the photo.

"Yeah, it's not something I want to lose, so I usually carry it around. Just to remember the good times they must have had."

Evelyn's expression softened slightly as the wolverine stared at the floor as if fixated on it. The border collie locked her paws with his for a brief while the wolverine tried to find the courage to speak up.

"I should go, I promised Kelsey that we would work on some of our homework while lunch is going on," said Evelyn, breaking the silence.

"Oh right, I shouldn't keep you. I can catch up with you later," said the wolverine feigning a smile and quickly moving his paws away from hers, which surprised the border collie.

"Well, catch up with you later then Randal."

The wolverine gave a warm smile as she waved goodbye and disappeared leaving him alone with just his thoughts to keep him company as he fixed up his locker and went down to lunch.

* * *

After several days of planning the wolverine and the coyote, both agreed that they would first meet in the library in order to get the chance to check out any books or use the computers for some extra research. Jake clicked away at the keyboard like an expert using it to help locate some credible sites with information on Nickel while Randal scanned the back rows of the shelves coming up with several newer and well-written textbooks.

"This should be about enough," said Randal burying his hands in his pockets after dropping the books down in front of them.

"Seems likely," answered the coyote, checking the book titles and then flipping to the table of contents to make sure they were relevant.

"That didn't take that long actually. I was worried that we would have to go riffling through the whole library just to find something."

"Good thing we got here early."

At that precise moment, the doors the library slammed open lead by the familiar bullies of Elmore Junior High. The dusty brown coyote tensed, bracing himself for the incoming onslaught, but the wolverine placed a large paw on his shoulder and interceded, taking a step in front of Jake and making himself a shield between the two as Jamie lead them this time instead of Tina. Jamie scowled at the sight of the wolverine, no doubt remembering their first encounter as she cracked her knuckles as the gray wolverine greeted her calmly.

"Good afternoon Jamie, looking for something?" said Randal shifting his feet further apart ever so slightly to be prepared to dodge to either side if necessary.

"Yeah, we want the books you have, hand them over, now."

Jake lifted an eyebrow at this as he and Randal exchanged baffled looks before chuckling to themselves. Apparently, the hybrid didn't take too kindly to this as her face turned a bright and blotchy red.

"What's so funny?!" demanded the hybrid slamming her fist on the desk as Jake and Randal quickly encouraged her to quiet down lest they attract the attention of the elderly librarian who had a stern reputation throughout Elmore Junior High.

"It's funny because we're researching a metal, you have a gas, so most of the books that we would give you would be entirely worthless because of that."

"Oh right, well it's not my fault. I have Banana Joe for a partner, he's driving me up a wall with his lame jokes, and worst of all he doesn't have hardly any incentive to do this project."

"Well, maybe we can point you in the right direction," said Jake, interceding as he stepped forward. "I could find what you're looking for and then you can get started on your projects."

"Sounds like a plan."

After a short while, the wolverine and the coyote handed off the books that Jamie and the others needed. Surprisingly the hybrid voiced a very small thank you towards them which was almost inaudible, though Jake's acute sense of hearing was able to pick up on it.

"You're welcome. Let us know in the future if you need any help, we'd be more than happy to," replied the coyote, a smile on his face as he collected the remaining textbooks and place his notebook inside his backpack.

"So, where to next?" asked the wolverine, watching still somewhat uneasy as the bullies left the library in a rush letting the door clatter loudly causing the librarian to look up sharply from her work with a wrinkled frown on her face.

"Considering how we have all the work compiled do you want to head over to my place and get started on refining our work and type everything up?"

"Sure, I'll just have to let my stepmom know."

The words had left Randal's mouth before he had realized he had spoken them and Jake's ears perked up upon hearing this as the dusty brown coyote turned around to face him. The wolverine quickly busied himself with fixing the straps of his gray kneepads, before looking into the coyote's face. There was a great deal of confusion in his expression as if he was trying to understand why he had stepparents or what happened to his parents. The wolverine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as the coyote raising his hand to ask a question.

"It's a long story," said Randal sparring Jake the trouble as he got his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Lead the way pal."

* * *

Jake and Randal stepped over the threshold into the Wiley residence as Randal looked around taking the sights in. It was a rather nice place, though it was rather hot inside, as a familiar voice to Jake greeted them.

"Hey Jake, who's the friend you brought along," asked Brooke dusting herself off as she stood up to full height.

Jake noticed she was very tired, as bags were starting to form around her eyes and that she was very pale as she clung to the side of the counter for support. Jake walked over to her and gave her a big hug, which she returned pulling him in close to her. She swayed slightly on the spot however and the coyote worried that she might fall over. She regained her balance quickly however and gave her son a reassuring pat on the head.

"This is Randal, we're working on a project together," said Jake brightly pulling away and indicating towards the large wolverine who gave a small wave towards the gray wolf.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Wiley," said Randal sheepishly.

"You know, you should take a break every once in a while," insisted the coyote in a whisper as the gray wolf smiled and messed up his hair on him.

"I'd love to, but we have that family reunion next week and the house has got to be clean by then."

"Well, you are doing this a week early, and why not wait a while so once I'm done with my project I can help out."

"That's awfully thoughtful of you, you're sure you can make that commitment?"

"Ah, I got plenty of time!"

"Well, don't keep me waiting, sport."

The dusty brown coyote gave a happy salute, as he jumped up the staircase with Randal following close behind to reach the second floor.

"Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable," said Jake leaping in a chair and spinning around to face his desk.

Randal slid into the wooden chair next to the coyote. He was always clacking away at the keyboard, in front of his small computer occasionally squinting at the screen and muttering to himself to see if what he was saying made any sense. The wolverine was impressed by coyote's work ethic and drive to finish it. They were right on schedule and were sure to finish in several hours.

"We're really moving now," said Randal finger gunning at the coyote who grinned in reply.

"Really Randal? You're hardly even contributing," responded the coyote flicking the wolverine in the nose.

"Maybe I should take over, that way you can get a chance to rest."

"Nah, I'm totally fine."

"I can see you yawning."

"C'mon."

With a simple sweeping motion, the wolverine picked the coyote out of his chair and into his arms, gripping his sides tightly to stop him from moving as he places him down on his turquoise bed sheets and placed his forearm up against him to stop him from moving. The dusty brown coyote tried to shake him off but the wolverine was resolute.

"Now, allow me," said the wolverine grinning and taking his turn on the keyboard. "So how does this thing work?"

After a while of walking Randal through the content, they were putting the finishing touches on the project. It had taken them a while longer than expected and the sun was beginning to set on the horizon leaving a pattern of oranges and reds in the sky behind the treetops. The last warm ray of sunshine seemed to be something that the coyote treasured as he pressed his paw slightly against the window subconsciously. The gray wolverine made sure to save the document as he closed the window out as the computer's fan began to whine attempting to cool it off. The coyote let out a small yawn as the wolverine smirked at him.

"What happened to all that boundless energy dude?"

"Who knows," stated the coyote his head lolling back and forth before he rested it on the desk as the coyote began drifting towards sleep.

The wolverine pulled off his jacket as he took it and draped the coyote in it, almost entirely covering him as the coyote raised his head in curiosity.

"Rest easy young one, you've had a busy day after all haven't you?"

"You could say that again," replied the coyote somewhat drowsily tugging the coat around him tighter.

The wolverine couldn't help but smile. The kid was rather bright and had made working with him a breeze. The coyote curled further into a ball, closing his eyes, and resting his muzzle on his forearms. The large and floppy jacket made the coyote almost resemble a bat wrapped up in its leathery wings. The wolverine ruffled the coyote's hair and then made a motion to leave the slightly disorganized room.

"Thanks, Randal," muttered Jake from the bed, as the wolverine stopped at the doorway.

"See you around little bro," said the wolverine turning off the lights and walking downstairs.

The coyote snuggled tightly in the jacket. Why should he worry about being a good older brother? He had Randal to help set an example, granted, he hadn't always been the best role model, especially when he had been at odds with the wolverine. But the wolverine's anger had started to disappear as he started to open up to him and his friends. He just hoped that the lessons that Randal had learned would not be forgotten and that the wolverine would come to be someone he could call a friend.

The wolverine closed the door shut gently, his mind on focus on the smaller coyote. He had become so blinded by anger for several years he had almost completely forgotten about compassion, something that could make the littlest but the most vital difference in life. The wolverine brushed his hair back sighing and turning around away from the oak door and began to walk down the long blue carpet. He was ready to leave, and the coyote, he would look after him. He would be his protector and more importantly his friend. It was going to be a fresh start for him, but how could he ever make it up to them? To his family, to Jake, and most importantly how was he going to make it up to Ev?

The loud buzz of his phone going off told him that he had received a new text message and he opened up his phone to look at what he had received. It was a small text from Evelyn that the wolverine quickly read.

 _'Hey Randal, I know it's been a while since we hung out, but I wanted to know if you would like to go out to an amusement park or get a bite to eat. I would like to catch up and see how you're doing. Anyways, let me know if you are interested and we can set up a time. If you're not then I understand and I'll try to catch up with you at school if possible.'_ -Ev

The wolverine eargly responded.

 _'Sure, I would love to and if you want to bring some friends feel free. Also, hopefully I see you at school.'_ -Randy

* * *

 **I tried to tread a bit of new ground to keep things fresh as I gave a bit more background to Randal, though his past is still a bit murky I'll admit. It was a fun chapter to right, though it did take a little longer as I was on vacation and I apologize for the delay on this one, I'll make sure to try to make my uploads as frequent and consistent as possible so I don't lose track of things myself. Anyways, if you liked this chapter be sure to fave, follow or review, and I really appreciate the recent reviews, they always bring a smile to my face and I really appreciate all the support. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Reboot-Part One_**

 **When a virus from Blockbuster infects Bobert the latter goes haywire, so the gang must team up with Blockbuster to stop Bobert and return him back to normal.**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Finally we get to see more about the wolverine. His adoptive parents, his relationship with them and what happened to his biological parents. I also love how Randal and Jake are forming a brotherly relationship. Overall this chapter was great in terms of character development for Randal.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This is the end of the second act of The Outsider, the third and final act is about to begin starting with the next chapter, not to mention there will be some new outfits for the characters as well.**

 **-Some stuff about Randal's family I had to skim over as it would be more of a teen rating, meaning that I would have had to change the rating of this story.**

 **-I figured some cameos of Jamie and Brian would be refreshing and I do plan on having Neo's OCs make a few more contributing roles in future chapters, especially towards the end of The Outsider, which I have to say is getting closer and closer.**

 **-Marshal and Wendy Rowe are Randal's stepparents, I still haven't come up with names for his biological parents, though I'm sure I will come up with something about them eventually.**

 **-Hopefully I'll be able to complete bios for all my major OCs and put them on my profile for those who are interested.**


	37. Chapter 37: The Reboot-Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 37: The Reboot-Part One

A misty dawn in Elmore signaled a new day as the sun crept ever so slightly over the horizon turning the mist a brilliant golden color. The weary coyote rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he yawned widely and stretched, only realizing that Randal left his jacket behind when it slipped off of him and landed on the floor. The coyote looked at it for a few seconds before resolving to place it up one of his hangers and return it to the wolverine if he saw him. The coyote resolved to switch things up and opened his dresser, shuffling through the different outfits that were not in use. He quickly grabbed one that caught his eye as he picked up a pair of black pants, a navy blue hoodie, and a white t-shirt with an orange stripe across the chest. He quickly got changed into the new outfit, before resolving to go downstairs and grab something quick before heading to school. The coyote entered the kitchen looking for something to scavenge as he grabbed the nearest mug he could before filling it up with coffee.

"What do you think you're doing young man?" asked the sharp voice of Brooke from the top of the stairwell catching the younger coyote off guard.

"Grabbing something to drink," answered the coyote giving an innocent grin as Brooke's eyes scanned him.

"You're not drinking coffee, period," said the gray wolf stomping downstairs and wrenching the mug from his grasp with her powerful grip. "You'll stunt your growth."

"Ah come on, eight ounces of coffee won't kill me."

"No, but I don't want you to stay at four feet and eleven inches for the rest of your life."

"You're no fun…"

"If you want to argue, do it with your father, he's the one who owns the coffeepot."

"Alright, I'll see if the king of the recliner will be more willing to share."

"Right," said Brooke raising her eyebrows. "He's hardly had a chance to relax at all he's been so busy with work and such."

"I'll get going, see you soon mom," replied the coyote as he gave her a hug that tugged on her new striped t-shirt.

"Stay safe sport," replied the wolf, nudging him affectionately with her muzzle.

The coyote nodded before his mother released him from her grip as he walked out the door for another day of school.

* * *

When the coyote first arrived at the school he noticed something was amiss as he took a look out from over his book to see something out the window. Was it just him or did he see a flash of red? Maybe it was just a reflection or his eyes playing tricks on him.

"Hey, Jake! What's happening?" shouted the griffin from the seat in front of him, startling him as the griffin looked down on him.

"Care to tone it down a notch? The whole neighborhood will be able to hear you."

"Oh, sorry about that man," replied the griffin as they exited the bus, both of them made sure to thank Rocky on the way out.

"Where's Cato, doesn't he usually take the bus to school?"

"Yeah, maybe he's just running a bit behind."

"Another pun?"

"You know it," said the griffin, pleased with himself. "I think-"

The rustle of leaves and the force from a white blur knocked both Jake and Grif off their feet as the pale humanoid speedster appeared in front of them panting heavily and shaking his feet while the bottom of his shoes smoldered.

"Sorry for the rush, I had to run almost halfway across Elmore, my alarm didn't go off."

"At least you made it," grunted Grif as he got off the ground and stretched making sure nothing was strained or dislocated.

"So, what are we doing today?" said the humanoid, making sure to cool off his shoes by jumping in a nearby puddle of water.

"Apparently, we're supposed to be presenting our projects to Miss Simian, that is going to be awful," said the griffin shaking his head in dismay.

As the coyote stepped over the threshold and tripped over something large and metal. Jake landed face down on the ground as he crawled over the floor, trying to figure out what he had just run into. It appeared to be a large pile of scrap metal, from the various parts and scratched surfaces it looked like it hadn't been in this state for very long. Jake's stomach turned over as he realized it was Bobert, very much still functional, his eye swiveling from side to side inspecting each one of them.

"Good morning, how are you today?" asked the robot his voice staticky and garble as the coyote knelt down next to him.

"Bobert, what happened?"

"I was attacked by Blockbuster on my way to school."

"Blockbuster did this?"

"Yes."

"He really must not like you," replied Grif, lifting the robot's dented chassis off of the floor and reconnecting some the damaged and frayed wires. "Does anyone have any electrical tape or something I can use to patch him up?"

The robot protested to this grabbing the griffin by the neck with his clamp-like hand. The griffin shuddered in fright and immediately put his fingers around the ice-cold claw hoping to pry the clamp off, but to no avail as the white robot tightened his grip and began starving the griffin to gasp with sharp breaths as Jake tapped the robot on the shoulder as his friend started to turn blue.

"Refrain from touching my circuitry."

"You don't have to tell me twice," replied Grif, out of breath as the robot relinquished his grip on his neck allowing him to breathe with less effort.

"So, we better get to class Bobert-" started Jake as he noticed Bobert's eye contract and lens around it turn a glowing red. "Bobert?"

The robot seemed to snap out of it as he shook his head. "Yes, what is it, Jake?"

The coyote pondered for a brief second, what had been up with that whole expression. The coyote did remember Bobert could be glitchy from time to time. Perhaps that is why there was that sudden flash, yes, that would make sense. The griffin nudged him getting his attention.

"Is it just me, or does Bobert seem different?"

"Nah, you're overreacting Grif, he's probably a bit banged up is all," replied the coyote in a whisper.

* * *

The presentations went fine for most of the class. Randal and Jake presented almost flawlessly besides the fact that Jake lost his train of thought once or twice. Grif managed to carry the project by himself while Tobias tried to add to the presentation by presenting his own information which was either off by a long shot or not relevant to Carbon at all. All the rest of the class presented their project in a concise manner and maintained a level of accuracy other than that. However, when it came time for Bobert and Anton to present a bizarre turn of events occurred. The piece of toast was putting up their poster board when something went haywire with Bobert as he began to shuffle from language to language while presenting. First, it was English, then it changed to Spanish, before cycling to French, German, Welsh, Russian, Swahili, Mongolian, Indonesian, Maori, before finally sticking to Icelandic. The class looked on perplexed at the presentation, Grif swore that sparks were coming out of Miss Simian's nose by the end of it. Jake believed that as far as he could tell Miss Simian thought Bobert had been intentionally switching his language program in order to mock her or confuse the class, as such Bobert received his first detention from the ancient baboon.

Jake couldn't help but feel bad for the robot as his eye drooped and he shuffled his way back to his chair, his feet grinding against the floor sending sparks in all directions and causing the whole class to cover their ears at the unpleasant noise. Whatever the glitch with Bobert might be it was causing its fair share of problems.

"Well, that could have gone better," said Brian exiting the room and catching up with the others who were already waiting for him.

"I never believed that Bobert would have gotten a detention," said Cato shaking his head. "That robot never has problems like this."

"Well, other than that time he tried to copy my personality and then Jake's," responded Gumball thinking pensively.

"Or that time we got him to be our servant," replied Darwin reminiscing.

"Isn't your dad a computer programmer or something, couldn't he figure out what's causing problems for Bobert?"

"He is, but I'm not sure he could really find a way to keep Bobert still long enough," said Brian shrugging.

"Didn't your dad work on robotics for a time Jake?" asked Grif, as the coyote quickly gave an answer.

"Yeah, he did, he does biomed tech now so I'm sure he could disable Bobert and then your dad could do a scan or something," suggested Gumball hopefully as the two nodded.

"We can give it a shot."

* * *

When school finally let out the kids put their plan into action, as well as trying to get some extra hands having been able to find Rhonda and Kelsey. However, they weren't prepared to end up with a wildcard show up.

"We all set up?" said Jake indicating at the power grid that Gumball and Darwin were modifying like mad engineers.

"We're in great shape, this pulse should disable Bobert, well, in theory," said the blue cat sheepishly. "Or we could knock out power for the whole city. Either outcome is probable."

"I don't see how parts from a toaster, a damaged computer, and a light switch could make an EMP."

"I guess that when you've got Gumball and Darwin they can accomplish practically anything, even though it doesn't really make sense," replied Grif shrugging.

The sound of heavy footsteps signaled that someone was approaching their location.

"Get into position," hissed Jake hiding behind a bush as Kelsey over and knelt down next to him. Both held their breath as the sound of metal footsteps got closer and closer.

However, it wasn't the robot that they had anticipated would arrive, instead, it was Blockbuster who tilted his head slightly as if to look behind the bush they were hiding behind. The coyote and fennec fox remained completely still, not daring to move as the robot shifted his gaze to the power grid before walking up to it and examining the modifications that had been made to it with an apparent sense of interest. Without warning the robot activated his weapons mode as missile launchers appear from his shoulders and blew the power grid completely apart sending slabs of concrete and other debris into the air in a looming cloud of gray dust. The robot didn't dawdle as he activated his rocket boosters and took off easy breaking the sound barrier causing the sonic boom to nearly shatter the ear drums of everyone there. They watched in horror as the whole of Elmore was now without power, that wasn't good, maybe there was backup power, hopefully.

"I wonder what's his big hurry?" asked Rhonda frowning looking at the horizon where the robot had just disappeared from.

"Maybe he knew it was an EMP or something," said Grif once again shrugging.

"Seems likely, he is a robot after all, wouldn't he have some sort of scanning feature on that visor of his?" asked Cato.

"Maybe, but I have a feeling he's hiding something, whatever it is it can't be good."

"Then let's go find out," said Kelsey eagerly as she nudged the coyote with her elbow.

"Yeah, let's do that," replied Brian, shaking his head still trying to shake off the sonic boom.

A falling steel beam landed a few feet from the coyote as the remains of the power grid began to crumble and fall in on itself.

"You've got to be kidding me…" said Jake in disbelief as a second large steel beam began to crumble and fall towards the coyote.

"This way," insisted Grif pointing down the grassy hill as he took flight right as pieces of concrete landed where he was seconds ago.

Everyone had already gotten a head of steam because of this, running past the coyote before sliding down the hill.

"Ah crap!" shouted Jake as he dived down the incline headfirst.

The coyote tumbled down the hill uncontrollably, his fur and new clothes being splattered with mud as he skidded. He thought for sure that he had lost the others. As the coyote continued to pick up speed he noticed that he was heading uncontrollably towards a narrow and deep ravine with a river with what looked like a strong current at the bottom of it.

"Jake over here!" shouted a familiar voice as the coyote looked over to see Kelsey at the end of the incline on top of a small plateau overlooking the ravine.

The coyote used all his might to steer himself in that direction as he skidded from side to side in a mad scramble to make it as he leaped towards the edge where Kelsey was crouching at. The coyote barely made it catching the ledge with one hand as his fingers began slipping off the edge, he was about to fall…

"C'mon," said Kelsey, quickly grabbing him by the hand as he almost fell. She dug her heels into the dirt and with some effort, she managed to haul the coyote onto the plateau where he lay staring at the sky as he panted.

"Thanks for the rescue Kelse," replied the coyote getting up off the ground as he dusted himself off.

"Well, at least we're both safe, that's what is important after all," replied Kelsey smiling, before playfully punching his shoulder. The coyote wrapped his arm around her, as they shared a brief moment looking off the plateau into the distance before breaking apart. "Let's go find the others and see if we can get to the bottom of this."

"Lead the way."

* * *

Bobert had been running full diagnostic scans to see what the problem was with him ever since his lunch detention with Miss Simian, he had even missed a meet up with Jake who had offered to give him some sort of new tech to perhaps fix the bugs he was having, but he had doubted that the coyote had enough experience with computer systems to help him out. Nonetheless, he was sure things would get better eventually. His scan finally yielded nothing, and the robot shrugged. A strong buzz shook the robot unexpectedly as he felt himself shudder and fall to the floor. He felt like he was still in control but something wasn't really agreeing with him like someone else was peering into his mind.

Gumball and Darwin arrive on the spot to see a red-eyed Bobert tampering with the stop lights to turn a four-way intersection all green as cars crashed into each other and airbags went off. The blaring of so many car alarms at once was greatly distracting as the robot turned to face them his eye now a gleaming scarlet, burning like fire.

"Dude, what's up with you?"

The robot didn't respond as iron plating covered his head to fit as he entered his battle mode and targeted the two Watterson brothers the red laser beams crashing into the ground and scorching the earth they had previously been standing upon.

"He certainly isn't one for words right now," muttered the blue cat as he dodged another intense blast for Bobert's weapon systems.

"I recommend we run before we end up like a roasted chicken," answered Darwin, as another blast sent parts of the street up into the air, as well as traffic swerving to avoid the new hazards.

"I think we should avoid making friends with iron giants from this point forward," replied Gumball sarcastically with a chuckle.

"Dude, you're still cracking jokes at a time like this?"

"If I go out, then I may as well go out laughing."

The scorch of the laser was almost upon them as the titanic robot charged up his weapons for another shot as the brothers looked desperately for a way to get away from the red laser. A flash of lightning shocked them as a familiar figure shrouded with electricity hurled them out of the way as the laser one again scorched the earth, setting the once green grass ablaze as it turned brown and the blades curled and turned to ash. Cato ground to a halt only stopping after the soles of his shoes were once again smoldering and the sight of Bobert terrorizing the city was far out on the horizon. They were safe for now.

"That was too close," panted Cato quickly recovering and wiping the sweat from his brow. "Now what?"

"We have to find a way to stop Bobert, or the amount of property damage in this city will go way up."

"I'm surprised they haven't tried to stick us with the bill again," said Darwin, cringing at the memory.

"Right, forgot about that. Why don't we use-"

"If you're going to suggest to find a giant, a T-rex, or some of the most disgusting stuff every acquired in Elmore that is currently in the freezer, then kindly reconsider," said Cato, preemptively facepalming.

"I was actually thinking about all three at once actually," said Gumball after a brief moment as as Cato shook his head.

"No!"

"Alright, fine, but we have got to figure out what's wrong with Bobert, and how Blockbuster is involved," said Gumball pausing as he thought about what to do. "Say, where are the others?"

"They're currently looking into where Blockbuster went, he was getting chased down by Grif last I check."

"That should be interesting."

* * *

The griffin, the purple fox, and the dusty brown coyote collapsed in a heap in order to try and slow down the robot who just waved his arm lazily, using his heavy gray fists to do the work, batting the three of them aside as they skidded backwards painfully against the asphalt as the robot fixed his neck casually cracking it from side to side. Rhonda and Kelsey arrive on the scene just in time to see the red and white griffin roll over and spit out a tooth.

"You know, you could use a little help you know," insisted Kelsey as the coyote hopped into the fray again and ended up being tossed around like a ragdoll.

"Hop in anytime you'd like," said the coyote with a grimace as he clutched his ribs and picked himself up again.

The fennec fox and yellow mouse jumped in eagerly as the robot used a sonic blast to knock them back slightly causing their heads to spin.

"He hasn't even broken a sweat," said Jake shaking his head in disappointment.

"Well no duh, he's a robot after all."

"It's just a figure of speech," replied the coyote rolling his eyes as he rubbed off the coarse bits of asphalt off his clothes with his paws.

"If Blockbuster would just sit still for once, that would be much appreciated."

"Jake, I have a crazy idea, so crazy it just might work."

"Fire away Grif."

"There's no time to explain, I just need your permission to do it."

"Why do I always get a bad feeling whenever you announce something like this?"

"You're worried that I will become a frequent visitor to the hospital and that I will know all of the doctors on a first name basis."

"Pretty much."

"Don't worry, Rhonda and I have this covered," said Grif with a wink as he dodged to the side as a gray missile narrowly missed him, skimming against the ground and exploding in a fireball right behind him. "Rhonda, think we can do that trick shot we were doing in basketball."

"Um, I'm not so sure about that, last time you skidding halfway across the court and dislocated your jaw," said Rhonda apprehensively as the griffin stretched readying himself for the challenge.

"Yeah, but it will be better than last time!"

"I hope you know what you're doing Grif."

The yellow mouse sprinted at full speed alongside the shorter griffin, who thanks to his wings was able to keep pace with Rhonda's blinding speed. They dodged and leapt from side to side outmaneuvering the assaults from the robot as Rhonda did a cartwheel, while halfway through the maneuver Grif landed on top of her feet which she kicked up in the air launching the griffin even higher as he landed on top of the robot managing to know him over and cause him to be pinned to the ground.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed the griffin triumphantly as the robot tried to push him off, but to no avail.

"Great work Grif, you even managed to stick the landing this time," said Rhonda chuckling as she walked over to him.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Rhonda."

"Sure, you could have! Just not as smoothly though," replied Rhonda with a grin as the griffin gave her an enthusiastic high-five.

"That's what I'm talking about! Thanks a lot, Rhonda the Magnificent!"

"Thanks for the nickname."

"I've got plenty more where that came from."

"Uh, I don't mind it, but it just Rhonda to you," said the yellow mouse rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Fair enough," said Grif shrugging with a smile as Jake dusted Blockbuster off.

"So what did you do to Bobert?" said Jake glaring at the robot as the robot held the same silent demeanor.

"You're wasting your time, Blockbuster doesn't talk. Or does he?" asked Grif, now with an interested expression.

The robot didn't move for several seconds until finally, he displayed some sort of coding right in front of them, via holographic projection.

"What is that?"

"Looks like some sort of coding, most likely for a virus," said Brian glancing at it, while the robot nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"What would you have to gain from infecting Bobert like that?" asked Rhonda angrily as the robot pulled up some sort of listing for Bobert's technology and then looked like something of his own programming where a single line was highlighted, but something was off about it like somehow the robot had taken it to extreme.

 **ALL BLOCKBUSTER UNITS ARE OF THE BEST QUALITY**

"So, you're the only top of the line product that can be produced from Digiverse Tech huh?" asked Kelsey raising an eyebrow to which the robot curtly nodded. It seemed like the robot had taken his program to the extreme believing himself to be the only kind of robot Elmore might have.

"Too bad, you're going to help us fix Bobert, whether you like it or not," said Jake forceful, the robot crossed his arms defiantly refusing to budge from the spot. "Alright, fine, we can see what my dad can do to you with a soldering iron instead then."

That got Blockbuster cooperating as he quickly changed his demeanor as he scrolled through solutions to debug Bobert.

"Says here we have to reboot the servers, that should reset all Blockbuster units, and the coding for them will reset, including Bobert since he was infected with Blockbuster's code," said Jake reading through it.

"Yeah, but are you sure Mr. Personality over here is going to want to go through with this," said Grif, pointing at the robot who Jake could almost swear that he was giving a silent glare at the griffin.

"We may not like each other, but we have to work together, for Bobert's sake, as well as our own."

"Siding with him is still siding with evil," said Grif critically as the coyote sighed deeply.

"Noted, but in the meantime, we have to find a way to stop Bobert, or at least slow him down so we can reboot him."

The coyote looked out upon the horizon, the city of Elmore had been set ablaze by Bobert continued to torch the city with his lasers. His home and family were down there, friends, and innocent civilians. The coyote fell to his knees, devastated the others looked down on the city, blown away. He wept bitter tears before the soft paw of Kelsey rubbed against his head and he looked at her ashen face as he brushed his tears away.

"How do we stop this?" pleaded Jake, desperately.

* * *

 **I have only got eighteen chapters left to go! Well, actually only seventeen and an epilogue, this story is now just flying by now that I have found the time to work on it, though I may have to slow down and plot things out from time to time, but hopefully I will be able to finish by the end of this summer. Anyways, The Outsider is now all on the downhill from here, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as it's always fun to see what I can come up with. Thank you all so much for the support, you're all such a patient and great viewing audience. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Reboot-Part Two_**

 ** _With a little help from Glenn and Gordon the gang manages to get into Digiverse Tech, but will they manage to reboot the system, and can they fully trust Blockbuster?_**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Looks like things certainly took a turn for the worst there. A good amount of action in this chapter as well. I am curious as to why Blockbuster is making Bobert destroy the city instead of just shutting him down permanently, or is it just a side effect from the virus instead of it's main purpose?**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I wanted to showcase some** **comradery between the characters in this chapter to give off the vibe that they are all very good friends, specifically Grif and Rhonda in this chapter. As you can probably tell, Grif kinda looks up to her, as well likes to joke around with her. I can imagine I'm not going to spoil anything, but their good friendship will have a part to play in future chapters. ;)**

 **-It was fun to include this many characters and have how they reacted and dealt with their situations as well as banding together to work towards a common goal.**

 **-I think I'm going to put in some side characters for fun once again in these upcoming chapters, like Hugo and Eileen, Alex, and others.**


	38. Chapter 38: The Reboot-Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 38: The Reboot-Part Two

Sev carefully tampered with the locked door as he looked back to see the robot slowly burning his way towards where the group was gathered, leaving a path of destruction and mayhem in his wake. The arctic fox focused back and did his best to hasten his progress with his fingers fumbling slightly. It was the pressure that was getting to him was all, he had never broken into a business before, what if they all got arrested for corporate espionage? That sure would put them in a dire situation, not to mention the town as well. That and the crowd gathered around him was breathing down the back of his neck; it was not helping in the slightest as the fox continued trying to pick the lock with the bobby pin he was given, taking off his sunglasses off to see things better as he started to lose his cool.

"What's the holdup Sev?" asked Kelsey, impatiently as the red beam came closer and closer to being upon them.

"Shut up, I need to focus. I've never broken into a private company before," replied Sev in a frustrated whisper under his breath. "Why doesn't the old man have a key card for the doors, I'm sure if he did things would be much easier."

"Who do you think you're calling old, punk?" growled Glenn at the arctic fox who immediately fell quiet before the metallic click he was expecting reached his ears.

"Presto."

"Oh yeah, I'm very impressed by your magic trick," replied Kelsey sarcastically as she and others were ushered in by the arctic fox. "I thought the only thing you usually picked was your nose."

"Hey…"

"How do you know Sev?" asked Jake curiously as the fennec fox rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Well, we're family actually."

"Really? I didn't know that, now that you mention it, I kinda see the resemblance," observed Brian looking from side to side between the fennec and the arctic foxes.

"Yeah, we're cousins," said the arctic fox, leisurely placing his arm over her shoulder and giving her bunny ears with the response of a few chuckles from the others before the fennec fox nudged him hard in the ribs.

"We've got a job to do, let's not dawdle."

"It is strange being at work at this time," replied Glenn looking around the build before pulling his ID from his pocket from a lanyard. "This should be able to get us into most areas of the building, specifically the areas I've been working in."

The older gray wolf that had accompanied them finally spoke up from being in awe at the interior of Digiverse Tech.

"So, this is what Digiverse Tech is like, it's got top of the line equipment, Glenn, you don't mind if I have a look at some of the programs you run," said Gordon enthusiastically as he got a closer look at some of the computer monitors.

"Dad, we're here for a job, not to get sidetracked," said Brian deadpanned as he kicked the squeaky-clean floor with his foot.

"I mean, I would like to, but unfortunately there's a confidentiality agreement I signed saying I can't share company information."

"The end of Elmore is going to happen and you're worried about confidentiality agreements Mr. Wiley? Loosen up a bit, besides, now would be the perfect opportunity for me to snag some new tech," said Grif smiling and eying some of the 4k monitors.

"No looting, understood," said Gumball firmly, as Sev made a motion to pocket some computer parts only to have the back of his paw smacked by Kelsey. The arctic fox yelped and shook his paw delicately to make sure it wasn't hurt as the fennec fox glowered at him. The arctic fox eventually got the hint as he started to remove some of the objects he had snuck into his backpack back onto the white desks from where they had come from.

"I suppose I could show you some of our non-classified stuff, mainly data provided to customers and such," said the older coyote shrugging. "Though it would have to be after we restore Bobert to normal. Thankfully this place is running off backup power that's off the grid, though it won't be able to run forever, I suggest we work quickly."

"Fair enough then," replied Gordon, somewhat disappointed.

"Let's get going, it may take some time for me and Gordon to get set up, come find us when we finish, and try not to wander off," said Glenn, looking at Sev and Grif in particular.

"I'll be on my best behavior then," said Grif, putting up his hands defensively.

"I thought you wouldn't know what that means," teased Rhonda as the griffin shook his head.

* * *

The dusty brown coyote had quickly wandered away from the rest of the group. He realized that he wasn't the only one missing as he had seen Blockbuster wander off as soon as he entered the building, though the coyote had no clear reasoning as to why. Blockbuster was an enigma, from some signs he had what seemed like compassion or empathy letting Jake and Kelsey go, but this was contradicted by the fact he had disregarded others safety and his near dismantling of Bobert. Eventually, Jake found the robot, who had taken to welding something together carefully using his hand to guide it as the blue flame fused the metal together with ease and left the room stiflingly hot, even by the coyote's standards.

"You got a minute?" asked the coyote as the robot held out a hand to signal for him to be silent as he finished his work. The robot eventually paused turning to the coyote as if interested at what he had to say.

"What is your inquiry?"

The coyote was taken aback that the robot had the ability to speak, his low synthesized voice had an air of elegance to it, despite his gruffer appearance for a robot.

"I was just wondering what you were doing back here, I figured you'd be with my dad trying to give him some useful pointers on how to reboot the system."

The robot remained silent this time, instead opting to turn around and continued working. Jake now understood that Blockbuster wasn't going to help them out as he didn't view working on rebooting the servers as important as what he was currently doing. He would neither impede or progress their work as he had his own agenda he was going to carry out. The coyote sighed as he started to walk away.

"Could you at least tell me what you're working on?" said the coyote as Blockbuster turned to show him what he was working on, it appeared to be some device and from the design, it looked to be something to shrug off the reset. "So, you don't want to be reset by the pulse?"

The robot shook his head, what was its real purpose?

"Why not go for a fresh start?" asked Jake, and the question seemed to linger with the robot for a time before he shook his head vehemently signaling that he was not willing to go along with that idea. Without another word or glance at the coyote, he stormed out, his metal feet clomping against the ground as he walked.

The coyote shrugged helplessly as a certain fennec fox walked up to him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"Your dad has already taken to rewiring things in the facility, hopefully, it will have the power to knock out Bobert if we're lucky. You think you can talk Blockbuster into helping to speed the process up?"

"I already tried that, I wasn't very successful," said Jake in disappointment as Kelsey sighed.

"That stinks, he probably knows all the ins and outs of Digiverse Tech, he would make our job a lot easier."

"I know," said the coyote frustrated by Blockbuster's lack of cooperation altogether. "We'll just have to make do without him."

"Things are never easy, are they?" sighed Kelsey, just as annoyed that the robot was not being of any use.

"Not in Elmore, no."

* * *

Unparalleled destruction was the outcome so far as Bobert bulldozed anything in his path as he marched or busied himself with steadily blasting anything that was in his sights. The town of Elmore was almost unrecognizable. The robot had just made his way into a quiet residential neighborhood looking for how to ruin this area of town when a familiar and quite grumpy puppet stepped out onto his front porch. He was muttering angrily to no one in particular, complaining about modern music as he stepped off the porch.

"Well, at least things aren't so bad, I can run some errands, and hopefully I avoid those two Watterson boys," said Mr. Robinson to no one in particular as he tightened his hold on his keys, as walked ever so quietly to his car to avoid his odd neighbors as he prepared to enter his Cadillac, until suddenly a burst of red hit the car setting it into an orange blaze before exploding right in front of him. "MY CAR!"

Words could not describe how furious Mr. Robinson was as he flailed about in anger, taking note of the large white robot who continued on his merry way with his rampage.

"You better have insurance, this is the last time that someone wrecks my car, usually they get away with it or claiming that they'll pay me back in Watterson dollars, I've had it with this!"

But the elderly puppet's rant fell on deaf ears as the robot continued to carve a path back to Digiverse Tech, one of the few buildings in Elmore that was still intact miraculously. The police force, however, stood in the path of the robot, their cars lined up in barricade to stop the robot from going any further.

"This is your last warning, uh power down and stop all hostilities and I promise the Elmore Justice System will be fair," shouted a certain donut cop over a loud speaker, but to no effect as with one strong kick the robot sent the cop cars down the street like they weren't even a problem as the cops scattered to the sides of the street leaving a clear path for the robot to waltz down the street as the cops looked around at each other taken aback.

"Let's just say we let him off with a warning," resolved the Donut Sheriff over his loudspeaker as the cops tried to shake off the stunned expressions on their faces.

* * *

For a certain group of Elmore's residents gathered in the heart of Digiverse Tech's server room, the modifications were going abysmally. Hot flames shooting out of the computers backed up this evidence as Gumball and Darwin panicked trying to pull the fire hose from the wall to put out the flames licking hungrily at the tech. Unfortunately, the hose came up short and the two brothers were yanked back as a result of this as Gordon leaped in with a fire extinguisher to douse the flames.

"Oh well, this is just going perfectly!" yelled Gumball frustrated as he tried to get up only to get a mouthful of smoke leaving him coughing and spluttering for air as Darwin ducked beneath the curling black smoke.

"How are we going to pay for all this?" asked Darwin, mortified by the damages they had caused thus far.

"Yeah, do you have an employee discount or something to pay for all this?" asked Gordon to the older coyote who scowled with annoyance.

"It'll probably be coming out of my paycheck at this rate," replied Glenn dryly as he did his best to salvage and pull away untarnished tech from the flames that were drawing ever closer.

Flashes and blurs signaled they weren't entirely alone as Cato jumped from spot to spot pulling out salvageable tech and trying to splash water on the electrical fires only to be stopped by Glenn who was now sweating greatly due to the heat.

"Not on an electrical fire Cato!"

"Thanks for the heads-up Mr. Wiley," said Cato rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "If Mr. O'Quinn gives me the extinguisher I'm sure I can battle the blaze."

Before any of them could make a move, however, the door to the lab was knocked ajar to show Blockbuster his red eye gleaming against the orange flame as the assessed the situation before activating his weapon systems and targeting the tangle of the five of them as his weapons charged up.

"That no-good back stabbing-" started Glenn, fuming with anger as he quickly pushed the kids underneath the desks as the robot fired his weapons at full blast as tan foam quickly covered the room extinguishing the fires that had been crackling. The older coyote and wolf's faces had both been covered in the substance as they wiped it off as the screen of the robot flashed with a smiley face on it as a result, and the robot walked off without another exchange or remark.

"I suppose we should thank him," said Glenn, wiping away the last of the goo as the others got up from the floor.

"He still doesn't seem like he has much interested in what we're doing," observed Gordon as Glenn scooped up the materials he needed returning them back to the lab bench.

"Let's just get working and worry about Blockbuster later. Cato, do you think you can keep an eye on him without being noticed?"

"I sure can, as long as I stay out of range of his sensors, and what do you reckon the range of those things are?" asked Cato abruptly as Glenn pondered on it.

"Ten or fifteen feet sounds about right," answered Glenn as he started to take apart some of the components laying at his feet with a screwdriver as the white humanoid nodded and took off to find the elusive robot.

For Grif and Sev their salvage operation was not going to plan as the eyes of Rhonda and Kelsey kept a close watch on them as the fox and the griffin made sure only to pick out parts that were essential to rebooting the system. The arctic fox was particularly troublesome as he had gotten quite skillful at sneaking stuff into his pockets leading to his cousin having to walk over to him and ask him to empty his pockets again and again. On about the fifth check the fennec fox was starting to lose her patience with him.

"Yeah, but how do you know it was stolen?" argued the arctic fox defensively as she scowled at him.

"I actually saw you slip it into your pocket this time, come on cough it up."

"Do you know how many hard drives look like this? I could have had this before you came over here and continued to monitor me," said Sev putting an innocent look on his face that made the fennec fox less convinced as she flicked him in the nose causing the arctic fox's eyes to water. "Hey!"

The fennec fox took this opportunity while the other fox was distracted to snatch the hard drive from his hands before waving it in front of him.

"No stealing!"

"I can tell that you're just the white knight in all of this," replied the snowy fox who took a lunge at the amber fox's paws hoping to get it back as she yanked it back.

"It is forever beyond your reach," said Kelsey mocking her cousin, by sticking out her tongue as he swiped at it desperately hoping to catch it as she continued to hold in out in front of him tempting him to go for it.

"That's just cruel," said Grif, finally speaking up as he chuckled. Sev continued to jump at the fennec fox before grabbing her around the waist to stop her from moving, though she easily lifted it up putting it once again well out of reach of the arctic fox, who groaned in annoyance.

"Now you're just making things difficult for me cuz," responded Sev with of almost a sibling-like bond as the fennec fox finally managed to throw him off.

"Here Rhonda, make sure he doesn't try to steal it back."

The fennec fox tossed the piece of tech over to the yellow mouse who caught it and placed it on the table a good distance from Sev and as an extra precaution fashioned a piece of duct tape over it to deter the fox, who merely gave a quirky smile suggesting that it wouldn't be much of an obstacle for him, the fennec fox notice this and shook her head in disappointment as a result.

"You never change, do you?" asked Kelsey seriously as the arctic fox gave a helpless grin.

* * *

Cato finally caught up with Blockbuster who was now fiddling with design of the device that he was fashioning, which he examined tampering with it only slightly using his gauntlet to weld a few more spots and joints as the humanoid approached him.

"So, seems like you're quite handy, especially with fixing things. But I have to wonder why did you infect Bobert in the first place?"

The robot turned around and appeared to contemplate the question for a few seconds before pulling up some of his old audio logs as the memories began to come back to him.

 _"The unit is failing to perform to expectations, I don't see how we'd be able to get this product out by the time that the deadline rolls around."_

 _"Don't make excuses for yourself, this unit will have to be rolled out at the deadline."_

 _"I… understand sir."_

 _"If you really need to get this done at a faster rate, then look over the plans for that Bobert unit for reference."_

 _"Sir, wouldn't that be stealing patented designs."_

 _"I don't care, get results," answered the voice coldly._

The next audio log cycled through as the robot remember the icy cold and barren room that his metal frame was once stored in as the researchers tamper with his systems and parts to some effect improving the robot.

 _"General analysis shows he is about seventy-two percent complete and the rest is coming along quite smoothly."_

 _"And what of his comparison to other models?"_

 _"Uh, he falls behind significantly behind the new Bobert unit."_

 _"Make sure that he does not by the time you finish him."_

 _"I'm sure if we had better tech we could-"_

 _"That doesn't matter, alter his programming for extreme hostility towards other robots, especially the Bobert units."_

 _"Wouldn't that make it dangerous if a person ever comes between a Blockbuster and Bobert unit."_

 _"I care not if there are no Bobert units left then how can it be a problem?"_

The robot felt admittedly sick, that was the first time he had cycled through those logs since he was first programmed. He was a piece of hardware that was disposable and was assembled to keep up with the competition and destroy it or make it look bad whenever he got the chance. The unknown head of research had crafted him into a weapon without his own say in the matter, the words of the coyote and fennec fox seemed to echo as he remembered they had questioned whether he was a person or a machine. Was he a drone or was he self-aware? Did he have the choice to choose his own path in life rather than having it being dictated by others who had told him so long that anything different was an enemy, whether or not it truly was? The visor of the robot flashed blue before the red light faded from it leaving it a new vibrant blue. He had the choice to make a difference, to finally amend the bad blood between his unit and the Bobert unit he had grown to despise, perhaps they were not so different after all, they were built of the same parts and even the same schematics.

"So, will you help?" asked the voice of Cato finally snapping the robot out of his trance of self-reflection.

"I will."

Glenn was struggling to rewire things as Gordon began coding the computer to release a pulse that would reset all Digiverse Tech and hopefully wipe out the coding that was afflicting the robot, as the room began to shake with the force of Bobert approaching ever so nearer.

"How are we looking?" asked Gordon as he typed away at a furious pace trying to keep up with all of Glenn's rewiring of the tech as the older coyote lay on his back trying to make sense of all the madness.

"So far so good, we've got only about twenty minutes before we're done," answered Glenn as he began to plug in the last few wires. "And-"

The older dusty brown coyote was cut off by the sound of an explosion as the entire facility shook causing the kids to fall to the floor as the power cut out suddenly.

"Bobert knows where we are," said Jake looking at the ceiling as dust began to shower on them from above as they stood up shaken, but quite alright.

"This is bad, no power and how are we going to reboot the system now?"

The arrival of a white and blue visored robot changed all this as he entered the room opening the front panel on his chest as he plugged in the cords that were supposed to be going to the generators into his power core as it began to glow a brilliant blue.

"Blockbuster, what are you doing?" asked Jake perplexed and frightened at what the robot was doing.

"He's powering our equipment, we now will be able to use it to charge up the pulse."

"That's risky, do you think he'll be able to handle it?"

"There is a risk that the core could overload the circuitry and cause the whole facility to explode when the pulse fires," replied Glenn as he adjusted his sleeves nervously with uncertainty.

"Great, that sounds wonderful."

"Go!" replied the strained voice Blockbuster as he began to singlehandedly began to power the facility the lights beginning to turn unbearable bright so that they could not even see.

"We're all getting out of this okay, right?" asked Rhonda shielding her eyes as the robot's frame began to strain as his battery began to drain.

"We're not leaving you!" yelled Brian determined as the light continued to burn brighter and brighter. "There has to be another way!"

"Believe me, it has to be like this," answer the robot his voice beginning to wear down as he looked at Sev in particular, perhaps a grin?

Their path was blocked by pieces of rubble as the building began to crumble all around them, they had little choice but to turn around and run as the facility behind them exploded violently as the pulse that they had been counting on finally dispersed and the titan Bobert stopped in his tracks, his body leaning over in a powered down state. The clatter of metal as the head of Blockbuster landed squarely at the feet of Glenn. The robot's visor had been cracked and scorched with his antenna being bent at an odd angle. The older coyote picked it up carefully before putting it carefully on a slab of concrete.

"What's that in your pocket Sev?" asked Kelsey curiously as the arctic fox pulled it from his pocket to examine it.

"It's some sort of storage device."

"Isn't that the thing Blockbuster was working on?"

"It's a memory capsule," observed Glenn as he got a closer look at it. "Did you take this?"

"What? No, he must have snuck it in there while I was helping everyone rewire."

"So, Blockbuster isn't truly gone?"

"I guess not, but the capsule appears to be hard locked, it doesn't seem like we'd be able to crack it anytime soon. Especially with the disaster that went on at this place," replied Glenn nodding towards the ruined building.

As they all silently contemplated the fate of Blockbuster a familiar sheriff in the shape of a donut came up to them.

"Did that pulse stop that evil robot?" questioned the anthropomorphic donut as they all looked at each other.

"Yes, we triggered it hoping that it would stop the robot, unfortunately, we couldn't save the facility."

"Well it doesn't matter that Digiverse wasn't saved, most of the town was ruined. Fortunately, no causalities, a few injuries, and a lot of property damage, however," said the sheriff overjoyed wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"It wasn't without cost," said Glenn firmly pointing at the head of Blockbuster upon the concrete.

The sheriff nodded understandingly as he turned his gaze to the other robot.

"What will we do with him though?"

"He was bugged," insisted Darwin quickly. "The pulse fixed him, we made sure of that."

"If you say so then" replied the sheriff as he walked off.

"Well, looks like my whole career went up in smoke," said Glenn looking at his now ruined workplace. "Out of a job, and I was sure I was going to be named the employee of the month. Better start looking through the papers, I hope I can manage to find and keep a job this time."

"I don't think you have to do that," replied Gordon as the coyote gave him a quizzical look.

"Why's that?"

"Because I have a proposition for you, why don't you work at my place, at least until they rebuild the building."

"That's a tempting offer, I may as well take it, and who knows, maybe I'll stay."

"I sure could use someone of your talents."

"Then you have yourself a deal!"

* * *

 **I made a few cutbacks so only eleven chapters and an epilogue, plus I'm making quite a few sacrifices (like waking up at 4 A.M. to edit this XD). But it has to be done to finish this story sooner rather than later, I hope you all had as much fun reading this one as I had writing it, and the march to the ending is continuing. Leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The_** ** _Courageous_**

 ** _Penny tries to convince the rest of her family to come out of their shells, will they though?_**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-It was nice to see the relationship between Kelsey and her cousin Sev. He's quite the hand full. It's a shame Blockbuster had to sacrifice his body to save Elmore, especially since he just came to the realization that he can choose his own path in life. I'm also sure Elmore will recover in no time, after all this isn't the first time it's been wrecked.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Admittedly, I had to rush through this chapter to get it up in time, but it must be done before I go to college. So if there is a slight dip in quality of the chapters than you know why. XD**

 **-There were a lot of characters to juggle in this chapter, though I feel I did give enough of them roles to at least have them feel like they belonged in the chapter. Also, Gordon, like Brian and Rhonda is not owned by me instead he is owned by the talented NeoNimbus and Cato is owned by Fitroz777 who are both just really cool guys, so check out their stories when you get the chance.**

 **-I figured I should give Penny a major role as she's only had a few in the story so far, but this one will focus exclusive on her and a few other non-OC characters.**


	39. Chapter 39: The Courageous

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 39: The Courageous

A beautiful sunset on the lake in Elmore Park glistened and showered a certain blue cat and shapeshifting fairy in light as they sat on the park bench watching the sun dip down behind the trees. The park was entirely silent besides the chirps of birds and the splash of fish in the water as they hopped in and out of the water.

"That sure is one beautiful sunset," said Penny staring at it in wonder.

"It's not the most beautiful sight in the world," said Gumball goofily as he looked at her with heart-shaped eyes.

"Aw, thanks," said Penny somewhat embarrassed as the blue cat managed to shake himself out of his trance.

"Sorry about that," admitted the blue cat as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Another case of 'allergies' Gummypuss?" asked Penny giggling as he blushed with embarrassment.

"You're never going to forget that are you?"

"Not anytime soon."

It was their moment as they cuddled closer together as the area around them changed and they were left floating in a void, with bright stars surrounding them from every angle as they look into each other's eyes. They leaned in close to one another, about to share a kiss.

The honk of a car horn broke up their moment as Gumball fell off his seat in fright, tumbling to the ground before getting up and dusting himself off. The blue cat looked up to see his father waving cheerily from the front window, no doubt he hadn't noticed that he had inadvertently ruined their moment as Gumball rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"My dad, I forgot that I told him to pick me up at seven-thirty," said Gumball clarifying the situation. "So I guess I'll see you later?"

"Actually, I was hoping that I could hitch a ride if that's not too much to ask."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Gumball grimacing as Penny gave a perplexed look.

"Yeah, I'm sure, why are you asking?" questioned Penny as Gumball shuddered at the thought of Penny seeing his father's driving.

"Well my dad does drive a bit fast, it would probably be a bit safer if you waited for your mom or dad to pick you up."

"I'm sure he isn't that bad; besides, my dad doesn't get off his job until eight, and my mom is busy running errands."

"Well, if you think you can handle it, then by all means," said Gumball a bit wary as the blue cat opened the door for Penny before jumping in up front with his father.

"Hey sport, how's everything going? Hey Penny," said the large pink rabbit waving back to the yellow and orange fairy using the rear-view mirror to spot her.

"Hey Mr. Watterson," replied Penny as she waved back to him.

"Get ready to hold onto something," said Gumball issuing a warning as Penny raised an eyebrow.

"Hurry, otherwise Lightning over here will have already gone several laps," said Gumball seriously as the older rabbit stepped on the gas leaving a thick smokescreen as the rubber began to be peeled from the wheels. "Uh, dad? You're in park."

The rabbit quickly noticed this as soon as his son brought it up as he looked down at the stick before rectifying his mistake.

"There we go!"

The car shot off like a cork out of a bottle as the car soared down the street and both Gumball and Penny were thrust back into the seat as the pink rabbit drove down the street, his reckless habits still as prevalent as before as Penny finally managed to steady herself.

"Get ready to take a left here."

The rabbit however prematurely acted taking a very sharp turn so he swerved into a fence crashing into it and leaving a car-sized hole in it as he ran through the lawn and through another fence. The car continued to veer and swerved uncontrollably. Unsurprisingly, Richard wasn't bothered in the slightest about what was happening as Penny tried to give him more well-defined directions pointing at specific street signs or giving him a fair warning before they came to an intersection. This, however, couldn't stop the large pink rabbit from running several red lights as well as crashing through brick walls or even on occasion buildings.

"How is poor Larry going to pay for all this?" asked Gumball somewhat concerned as he cringed upon seeing them collide with another business. "So much to the repairs that were started because of the whole Bobert incident."

"Is he alright? He hasn't been in school for several days," said Penny, curious as she had not seen the white-plated robot in several days.

"He did have a few bugs, I hear that they're getting fixed now," said Gumball turning around and standing up in his seat as he looked at Penny who gave him a curious look.

"Were you part of the problem in this case, or worse yet, part of the solution?" teased Penny as the blue cat grimaced in embarrassment.

"I… might have had a hand in it," admitted Gumball painfully as the fairy shook her head.

Finally, the car skidded to a halt, hitting the curb and sending a fair share of sparks showering off the rims. Both Gumball and Penny were rocked forward by the force of the abrupt stop as the blue cat's head collided with the dashboard leaving a large purple bruise on his forehead, he tried to soothe the pain throbbing through it as he rubbed it. However, this was only worsened when the airbag deployed in his face, smacking it again. His face felt unbearably sore as he tried to shake off the pain.

"Bye Penny, see you soon," said Gumball, overcoming the pain screaming in his head as his numb tongue tried to form words.

Apparently the words had come out of the blue cat's mouth in a garble as Penny turned around perplexed, but she seemed to get the gist of what the blue cat had to say as she gave a smile, but visibly she was still a bit shaken by the car trip, Gumball couldn't blame her, braver friends had come out of his father's car just as frightened and shaken as her and in some cases even more so as the blue cat remember Grif's first experience in it as he had yelled until his face turned blue and passed out, not only that but he had gripped the back of his father's seat with white-knuckled fear as they had swerved around town. Still, things had managed to work out in the end. Though Gumball could have sworn that perhaps Jake found a way to pinch the griffin in the shoulder to cause him to pass out.

* * *

Penny sighed as she sat down on the front porch, the Wattersons' car looped around on the front lawn making a donut as the car left deep tracks. Things were on the up and up, though she wished things were going better, the town had just started to fix itself up from the last incident, with her father being one of the leading contractors to lead the rebuilding effort. He was now as busy and as stressed as ever, not to mention, she believed that it was still a bit difficult for him to accept that she had come out of her shell, maybe she could help him come out of his like how Gumball had helped her.

Patrick Fitzgerald stepped out of his car as he looked at his lawn which was now ruined with divets and whole sections of the grass torn up from car wheels, though it should have been obvious that his house wouldn't be safe from the harm of Richard as he passed whole areas of the town that had been ruined by the pink rabbit's carefree driving. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly looking at the results.

"Why am I not surprised? At least they mean well," said Patrick as he looked over to see she his daughter sitting on the porch, she was kicking her feet back and forth until she picked her head up and saw him giving him a warm smile to greet him as she floated up to him.

"How was work dad?"

"It was fine sweetie," said the older shelled fairy as he stretched his muscular arms which were now surprisingly stiff from the long car ride home. "I see the Wattersons were here."

"They left about fifteen minutes ago," responded Penny as his father knelt down to brush the dirt back over where the tired tracks ingrained into the lawn. A snapping sound caused him to stand up abruptly as he found the spot where his shell had cracked slightly as he quickly covered the crack in his side with his hand.

"Uh, we'll talk about this later," said Patrick as he hurried inside the house immediately going into the bathroom making sure to lock the door as he assessed the damage to his shell. There was a small crack towards the bottom as he saw some of his shell-less form of blue energy shifting around underneath as he clapped his hands over it again. He quickly shuffled over to the medical cabinet and retrieved a roll of cloth which he quickly applied over the injury as he looked at the bandaged area. "How am I going to explain this?"

The gentle rap on the door told him that Penny was just outside the door as Patrick paced around the room nervously.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Patrick could tell from the way she sounded that she knew exactly what was happening as he sighed, sitting down on the toilet seat cover and thinking of the best way of approaching this. He knew if he removed his shell he might not be able to control his powers and they might make him dangerous. The best way was to find something to patch it for the time being. He resolved he would be straightforward as he opened the door to see Penny waiting outsider a look of anticipation as she noticed the bandage around her father's midsection.

"My goodness, dad, your shell-"

"It's nothing," insisted Patrick as he took several steps back to stop his daughter from getting a closer look at the bandages. "It's only a slight crack, it should be on the mend in no time."

"Wouldn't just be easier just to take it off?"

"No!" replied her father firmly causing her to flinch slightly at the noise. "If I leave my shell there's no telling what might happen, I haven't had time to adapt and get used to my shapeshifting abilities like you have."

"I understand, but wouldn't be a bit easier if we didn't have to hide inside of these things," said Penny shrugging as her father frowned.

"That is a dangerous line of thinking young miss, don't you remember the fiasco you caused when you first removed your shell. Not another word about this topic," said Patrick firmly as Penny opened her mouth to rebuttal. "Let's just go eat dinner."

* * *

The next morning wasn't any better for Patrick as he woke up from bed, checking the crack in his shell to see it was still there and perhaps worse than before as he saw bits and pieces beginning to flake off from the brown shell. It was not good news as he took the stairs three at a time. He quickly rushed to the garage to look through his tools, eventually, he came across putty which he managed to fill the gap with as he prepared to head to work, not before however checking up on his daughter's room where he found her sound asleep. He walked over to the bed sitting on the edge of the bed before laying a kiss on her forehead. He departed the room closing the door gently before heading to work.

His day at work was quite uneventful as they continued to make the necessary repairs to the damaged Digiverse Tech. The head of the robot Blockbuster still stood there like an omen against the slabs of concrete where it had been placed. The workers tried to shake off the feeling that it was watching them as Patrick looked over the blueprints for the reconstruction of Digiverse Tech. They already had the steel beams in place for the new structure. There were just a few things missing and he was sure they could salvage some of the building materials from the rubble as not all of it was ruined. However, things were not going well when a certain familiar face showed up.

"Hey Mr. Fitzgerald!" said the blue cat enthusiastically waving to him as he tried to do his best to ignore him as he continued to oversee the construction of the new building.

Unwisely the blue cat decided to enter the work site where construction workers were busy moving heavy metal beams as well as welding bits of steel together. Gumball hopped happily over to where his girlfriend's dad was peering at the blueprints for the building.

"What are you up to?" asked the blue cat inquisitively as his eyes glowed with wonderment at the plans for the new facility.

"Look, kid, this is a construction site, you should even be here in the first place, you could get hurt," replied Patrick as politely as possible as the blue cat gave a curious look.

"Me, get hurt?" asked Gumball grinning with confidence as the older shelled fairy face palmed.

"If you want to stick around at least take a hard hat for heaven's sake," replied Patrick somewhat annoyed as he handed the small blue cat a yellow hard hat for him to wear who put it on quickly as he ran to keep up with the antlered peanut as he got a better angle at how construction was going. "Now lift it very gently."

The beam rocked back and forth uneasily as it was carried up slowly. The wires securing it seemed to whine and creak as the crew watched with bated breath. Then it seemed as if Murphy's Law was in full swing next second. The wire securing the beam snapped falling towards where the workers were standing. Patrick noticed almost immediately that the little kid was right underneath where the beam was going to fall. The antlered peanut tried to yell at him to move, but he seemed to be frozen with fear as he looked up in horror at what was happening. There was no other choice, the man summoned all of his might as he felt the shell around himself cracking as he willed himself to leave it. Light poured through the cracks as the multiplied as the shell burst apart into fragments leaving his unshelled form of turquoise blue exposed. He felt himself changing form, his face shifting and becoming a long snout and the wings expanding to become large and powerful as a felt his mighty form breath a hot blaze from his mouth melting the beam right down the middle into two small and insignificant pieces of steel as they fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Wow, how epic was that?" asked Gumball astounded as Patrick turned to glare at him with a snarl as he immediately took off causing a powerful wind to whip the cat off his feet as the dragon disappeared from the horizon. "That isn't good."

* * *

Gumball frantically knocked on the door, almost knocking it down with the force he was applying until Penny answered it ducking underneath the blue cat's misguided swinging as he opened his eyes to finally noticed that the door was opening. "Penny-"

"What is it Gumball?" asked the shapeshifting fairy as he panted desperately for breath.

"There was a little incident, well more of an altercation-"

"What kind of altercation? Just take a deep breath Gumball, focus, now what happened?"

"Your father broke out of his shell."

"What when?"

"It's a long story and I'll spare you the details, but there is no telling what he'll do now that he's out of his shell."

"Agreed, but we have got to find him wherever he might have gone."

* * *

The older shape-shifting fairy landed clumsily as he hit the forest floor. He would be safe here for the time being as he curled up in a ball covering his snout and eyes with his wings.

 _'What if my family comes looking for me? No, Penny can't see me like this,_ ' he resolved as he kicked up dirt around him in a desperate effort to conceal his bright glowing form, but to little success, his shell-less form made him stick out like a sore thumb now. _'Maybe if I retreat further into the forest then they won't be able to find me until I can find a means of once again sealing my powers away. Yes, that could work.'_

The Fitzgerald family had finally reached the outskirts of the Forest of Doom as they looked into the spooky scary darkness. The blue cat had a sense of dread pass over him. His previous encounters in this forest had not been bright memories, hopefully, things would be better this time as the blue cat mustered his courage.

"Are you feeling alright Gumball?" asked Penny pausing to look at her boyfriend who seemed to be shuddering uncomfortably as he looked at the spiked trees.

"Yeah, this place brings back memories is all," said Gumball as he shuddered slightly once again.

"Not all the memories from this place are bad you know, what about our first kiss?" said Penny smiling remembering the warm memory and she was relieved to see Gumball relax a bit after the mention of that moment.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

"We'll stay here," insisted Mrs. Fitzgerald nodding to Penny's little sister who was staring at them with fascination at what was happening. Both Penny and Gumball understood they shouldn't endanger a child. "Be safe, and if you run into any trouble make sure to signal use."

"I'll use a burst of fire in my dragon form if it comes to that," insisted Penny allowing her mother to sigh with relief.

Without another word, the blue cat and shape-shifting fairy departed into the forest, making sure to be careful where they tread lest they awaken some terrible or odd beast. As they traveled deeper into the forest it became apparent that Patrick didn't want to be found as they quietly walked down the path, not yelling as an extra precaution as to not alert the animals lying wait in the darkness.

"Do you think he's anywhere nearby?"

"If he is then he doesn't want to be found, he probably reverted to something small or quick to avoid detection if he is here."

"What makes you certain that he's nearby?"

Penny pointed at the ground indicating to small mouse tracks press into the wet ground as Gumball bent down to examine them.

"So, he's here, how exactly do we get him to show himself?"

"By making him angry enough," replied Penny simply as she shifted to her dragon form as she roared into the sky spitting hot flames at one of the trees. Sure enough, this must have set her father off as the form of another shapeshifter appeared morphing into a titanic dragon appeared as he snarled at them in anger spitting his own glowing orange fire at them as Penny quickly shielded her boyfriend as the disgruntled dragon took off in a rush. Penny quickly grabbed the blue cat gently in one of her large clawed feet as they took off in wild pursuit of the older shapeshifter who seemed to run into the ground clumsily after flying nearly to hissed with anger at them. Penny reverted to her normal form as they stood close to him, but far away enough to have enough time to avoid a swipe from him.

"Dad, this isn't you," said Penny walking closer to him stretching out her hand to comfort him only to have him swipe at him as they had anticipated causing them to leap back as the shapeshifter turned away from them deciding to look at the pale sun concealed behind the clouds.

"Mr. Fitzgerald, with Penny's help you can master your powers, once and for all," said Gumball trying to coax the fairy into moving as he remained rooted to the spot.

"I don't think I can control this, I'm not worth the trouble," said the shapeshifter in a heavy voice as the blue cat approached him ever so carefully.

"Mr. Fitzgerald, there is no reason you should be ashamed of who you are. You've got a good heart, and I know that despite your gruff exterior you really care about your family, and you don't want to see anything bad happen to them, or the possibility that they might hurt someone."

"Dad, we can't do this without you, trust me like I trusted you."

The dragon seemed to become calm as he slowly morphed back into his original form, giving a tearful smile to his daughter whom he immediately gave a strong hug as the blue cat watched. The older shapeshifter looked over to where he was standingand with a tug from his strong arm the shapeshifter managed to pull the blue cat into the embrace as well.

"What do you say that we just put our best feet forward from now on?" asked Patrick rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I do, and I think it's about time to turn over a new leaf, for all of us."

* * *

It was another average day for Gumball and Penny as they sat on the bleachers at school Monday, they were busy chatting about the aftermath of the whole incident.

"So, my whole family has come out of their shells."

"That's great news Penny," said Gumball giving her a warm smile. "Are they adjusting alright to their new forms."

"It's taking some getting used to, my dad now doesn't even have to drive if he doesn't feel like it, he can just change forms to travel speedily to and from work."

"Now that is pretty cool."

"On that, we can agree."

The spiral of white and red quickly broke them up as Grif soared between them landing flat on his back with a large thud as his head bounced off the back of the bleachers and he skidded to a halt.

"Hey, how's it going?" asked the griffin casually as he picked the basketball off his chest and set it down.

"Good I guess, gym not working out for you Grif," chuckled Gumball as the griffin gave an annoyed look.

"I dunno, at least I'm exercising and not going on a crazy junk food spree."

"That was because of Carrie, I swear," said Gumball defensively as the griffin gave a small clicking whistle of amusement.

"Oh get back out there bird-brain!" said Penny with annoyance as the griffin gave a small bow and winked as he soared back into the game with renewed zeal.

"Yep, just another day in Elmore," said Gumball amused as he leaned back with Penny as she tightened her grip on his paw.

* * *

 **Wow, thirty favorites and follows, I can't believe I reached that many, didn't think this story would be this popular, especially when I first started out. However, like all good things this one is continuing to reach the end at an exponential rate. I feel like I have a lot more material to cover and I could have done a better job at fleshing out some of the other characters and minor characters from the show. Still at least I'm having fun with it and getting some of those ideas I want written down. It has been a long story to write, but I'm happy to know I won't be leaving it unfinished, especially for you fans of the story, you're the best and I always look forward to hearing your feedback. Leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Academy- Part One_**

 ** _When Grif is transferred to Elmore Academy for his high test scores the griffin tries to cause enough mischief to get himself kicked out, until something causes him to change his plans._**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Close call for Gumball there. I thought Mr. Fitzgerald would act that way considering his view on the whole breaking out of their shells thing. I'm glad though that things managed to work out for him and his family, even if it did take some team effort from Gumball and Penny.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I wanted to focus a bit more on Penny and her father as they reached an understanding for each other, though this chapter did feel shorter than the others and I think I could have gone more into the minds of the characters, though I am rather pleased with the chapter.**

 **-I figured I should at least give a cameo to another character rather than just have this small cast so I decided to put Grif in the end to ruin Gumball and Penny's moment (well kinda).**

 **-Elmore Academy was a location NeoNimbus came up with in his story The Newcomer and I figure I should visit the location again to switch things up.**

 **-I made a reference to Star Trek in this chapter, see how many other references you can spot.**


	40. Chapter 40: The Academy- Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 40: The Academy- Part One

The griffin sat in his desk bored out of his mind as he doodled in the upper left-hand corner of his test booklet with a depiction of an ape atop a building swinging at airplanes that were flying out of the way to avoid the swiping of her paws at them. Grif looked up once again to get a better look at the aged baboon who was slurping her coffee before looking up and giving the griffin a rancid smile, which he replied with a bemused grin. There was nothing else for the griffin to do, he had already filled out all the answers as he opened up his face plate to yawn slightly as he quickly muffled it with his paw to avoid getting Miss Simian's attention. He glanced over to where the coyote was sitting, his left paw moved like a dusty brown blur while he was filling out the essay as fast as possible glancing up at the clock to see how much time he had left. The others, for the most part, were fairing about as well as Jake as they began to panic and look more and more frequently at the clock. The only ones who seemed really behind were William and Alan, who both didn't have any hands and thus were falling behind faster than the others.

"Pencils down," snarled Miss Simian as she shuffled from out behind her desk, holding out her paw to receive the tests from each individual student. The griffin kicked back his feet lazily as he handed his answer sheet over to the aged baboon as she snorted in anger upon seeing the doodle in the upper corner.

"We will talk about your sense of humor later after school Mr. Sullivan," said Miss Simian addressing the griffin who just shrugged with a harmless grin on his face.

"So, how do you feel you did Grif," said Jake turning to look at his compatriot who shrugged.

"Probably horribly, the test isn't graded after all," said Grif, as he twiddled with his pencil in between his fingertips.

"It is only a placer test to see if we're bright enough to get into Elmore Academy, not like we could anyway," snorted Grif as he held his nose up in the air and screwed up his face to do his best impression of an Elmore Academy student. "Still, not all of them are bad, Rhonda and Ivan are pretty decent people after all. I just wish Randal took some ques from Ivan sooner."

"Hard to argue with that, do you think Bobert or Alan passed?" asked Jake.

"Not Bobert, he's still working out some of his glitches," replied Grif in a whisper as he thumbed in the robot's direction as he spat out a floppy disk before inserting it back into one of his panels. "Alan, I'm not so sure about, you think he'd have to worry about that pencil tip, I mean one wrong prod and pop!"

"Yeah, that is something to worry about."

The shattering of a coffee mug on the floor caught the classes attention as they looked up to the front of the room where Miss Simian was standing, looking utterly aghast. All eyes in the classroom were focused on her like a laser. No one dared to breathe or even speak as a tremendous hush fell over the once chattering classroom. It seemed like the aged baboon was having trouble comprehending whatever development was happening. She quickly looked up from the papers gathered on her desk into the crowd, a look of uttermost shock and confusion on her face. The griffin was thinking pensively about what might be occurring so that she might break down in the middle of class, but he wouldn't complain, it wasn't every day that something stopped Miss Simian's lecture.

"What happened?" asked Gumball in a whisper, and despite this Miss, Simian seemed to hear this as she responded in a quiet whisper.

"Somebody managed to ace the exam," she said almost breathlessly. "Mr. Sullivan."

"Look, I know you want to yell at me about that drawing after school, but will you just say who got the perfect score so we can put this whole thing to rest," said Grif waiting with anticipation as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Grif Sullivan."

"Yes?"

"You're the one who achieved the perfect score."

Grif blinked. The whole class turned to him, just as aghast as Miss Simian was as they stared at him with unblinking eyes.

"You see I can hear you saying words, but they don't match up in a way that makes any sense."

"You got every question right," snarled Miss Simian annoyed as the griffin turned to his coyote companion who was sitting right next to him.

"Huh really? You buy that?" asked the griffin as the coyote laughed.

"Heck no, you said you were going to try to sleep through the test," said Jake who was forced to stifle his laugh as the eyes of Miss Simian lingered on him and he promptly cleared his throat.

"Alas, to my great regret I didn't," said Grif continuing to snicker as some of the group of his immediate friends let out a few chuckles.

"I am relieved that an annoyance such as yourself is being removed from this environment so that the other students can actually learn something at this rate," said Miss Simian gloating slightly as the griffin shook his head in confusion.

"How do you mean?" asked the griffin, a perplexed look on his face as he frowned.

"Because you passed the exam with flying colors you are to be transferred to Elmore Academy in several days," said Miss Simian grinning in amusement as the griffin looked at her in horror.

"No way, you're lying."

"On the contrary, I'm telling nothing but the truth. If you don't believe me, read the fine print," said Miss Simian cackling as she showed him the back of the test where his signature was inscribed.

The griffin looked up in shock about what he had just signed.

"But-"

"Looks like your luck ran out, Mr. Sullivan," said Miss Simian relishing in the moment as Grif looked around at any of his friends for help.

"Don't worry Grif, I'm sure Rhonda will help you figure things out and how to get back to Elmore Junior High if that's possible," said Jake, patting his griffin buddy on his back.

"Here's hoping, I don't want to be stuck there forever," said Grif shaking his head as the coyote nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah, it will surely be a different experience, hopefully, it's not all bad though," said Jake hoping to at least take the griffin's mind off what was going on as the resumed the lesson, Grif now found it particularly hard to concentrated as he now had Elmore Academy to worry about.

* * *

The griffin woke up with a start as he tangled himself in his sheets in a wild manner. It took him several whole seconds to realize what was happening as he found a way to untangle himself from his mess. The griffin sighed, thinking about all the fun he was going to miss out on and how he wasn't going to be able to see his friends who were at Elmore Junior High while he was at Elmore Academy. He would miss Jake especially. They had grown to be almost inseparable in all their years in Winslow, not only that they had almost formed a brotherly bond in their time together. They had each other's backs through thick and thin, that seemed to be changing rapidly. As the griffin stretched and headed towards his dresser he noticed that his regular outfit had been replaced with some strange abomination of clothes as he prodded it carefully, half expecting it to leap out at him and start biting him.

"Mom, what's this?" asked Grif as soon as she entered the room looking very excited.

"It's your new school uniform, I got it yesterday for you."

"School uniform? Forget about it, they're not stopping this griffin from having his freedom of expression."

Irene's smile faded slightly as the griffin looked at the uniform as if it was something repulsive.

"Grif, you have to put it on so you can get into Elmore Academy."

"Fine," said the griffin sourly grabbing the clothes off his dresser and examining them. "I can at least keep the helmet, though right?"

"Yes," said Irene chuckling as the griffin yanked off his t-shirt to replace it with his new collared blue dress shirt.

* * *

The uniform was pretty uncomfortable for the griffin, who found the collar to be quite itchy around the neck area, and the fact the uniform made him feel a bit goofy especially thanks to the dress pants, which seemed to be a little too long in fact.

"Ah, you're such a handsome young man, let me get a look at you!" said Irene brightly as soon as she saw her soon at the base of the staircase.

"Mom!" said Grif annoyed as he tried to wrench himself from the red lioness' tight embrace. She had already begun to try to straighten out his crest of feathers from their usual windswept appearance to one that was more presentable.

"Sorry son, it's just that this is a big day for you, and for this family. Our son, attending a private school!"

"Yeah, save the confetti for later," said Grif with a small grin causing his mother to chuckle with amusement.

"Just remember: Make a good first impression."

"Yes mom, I will," replied the griffin somewhat chuckling as his mother got up from kneeling.

"Have fun my little woodpecker."

"I will mom," said Grif brightly as he stepped out the front door to be assaulted by rays of sunshine that nearly blinded him.

The griffin walked to the street corner and waited. Brian had coordinated with Rhonda so that she might help the griffin get there early and at least have enough time for him to get familiar with the school before classes started. He was hoping the purple fox had given the right directions to him, then again Brian had been reliable whenever it came down to stuff like that. The yellow mouse had arranged that she would be there by seven-ten, and the sounds of bicycle brakes reached the griffin's ears as he leaped into the sky hovering in his spot as Rhonda ground to a halt right below him. He gave a low whistle at the close call before landing atop of one the street lights.

"Ah, it's not a two-seater, I was hoping that you could do all the work while I hitched a ride in the back," said the griffin grinning in amusement. "Good to see you, Rhonda."

"Likewise, Grif, but I thought you'd be taking a bicycle."

"I thought about it, but you know me, flying has always kind of been my style," declared the red and white griffin touching down next to the mouse as she handed the griffin a map layout of the school.

"I'll be sure to hit up most of the locations when I get the chance."

With a burst of speed, the griffin took off in a spiral into the sky.

"Always on the move," sighed Rhonda getting back on her bike and kicking up the stand before pedaling to keep up with the griffin who already had a decent head start.

* * *

Grif managed to maintain a level of balance as he landed somewhat roughly his feet having to skid along the pavement. The friction made his feet burn uncomfortably until he came to a complete stop in front of the impressive structure of Elmore Academy. It was almost the size of a large mansion, with white marble decorating the building. A large clock tower on top of the building read that it was only about seven-twenty. The griffin walked up getting a better look at the building and noticing the state of the art gate that was blocking his passage into the building as well as steel fences that made the building seem admittedly more like a cage rather than a school. The griffin had to admit besides the fences the place looked quite impressive, the griffin was hit from behind as the snobbish students getting off of the bus knocked into him on purpose.

"Townie."

The griffin stared at them for a few seconds before shaking his head and resolving not to think about it too much as he walked up eagerly to the front entrance as he noticed an intimidating toad standing in his path.

"Uh hey big guy," said Grif looking up at the towering toad as he gave him a small little salute. "You're kinda in my way, so if you could just skootch to the side that would be great."

"Where's your student ID?"

"Uh, well, I'm from Elmore, not Uppermore, so."

"What brings a townie to Elmore Academy? Are you stirring up trouble like the last group?"

"Not at all-"

"He's with me," said a familiar voice as Rhonda walked up next to him giving the griffin a chance to breathe in relief as the toad looked somewhat taken aback.

"Oh Rhonda, I didn't realize he was with you."

"Thanks for the save Rhonda," said Grif extremely grateful that the yellow mouse had shown up as soon as she did.

"Anytime, just stick close."

"Will do."

The griffin paused as he noticed a bluish-green drake standing at the door for one of the classrooms. The griffin couldn't help but notice the cherry red guitar she was carrying on her shoulder as he looked on. Interested to know if she could actually play it he decided it would best to get to know at least one person from Elmore Academy. The drake seemed to notice the griffin walking up to her, her eyes immediately looked at the pilot's helmet he was wearing which was understandable as it didn't really fit with the uniform he was wearing.

"You play guitar?"

"Well, a bit, it's mostly just a hobby. I haven't seen you around here before, are you a new student?"

"Technically I just transferred here, but I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate this massive place," said Grif bashfully as stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm Grif Sullivan by the way."

"Adele Drakon, pleased to meet you. Where are you from if you just transferred here?"

"I was actually born in Concord, my family has moved twice actually, first to Winslow, and now to here."

"So, you're from the east coast? That's neat."

"Yeah, it's a bit of way from here, but it's not too far. I'm a natural born flyer after all!" said Grif pointing at his wings with a smile causing the blue-green drake to chuckle with amusement.

"I've been hearing a lot about crash landings from Rhonda Paxton, that wouldn't happen to have anything to do with you, would it?"

"Nonsense, I'm known for my sense of stability and grace when flying," replied the griffin with a goofy smile as Adele raised her eyebrow skeptically.

"Right."

"Nice to meet you, I better get going otherwise I may not get to class on time. See you around Adele."

"See you soon Grif!"

The griffin smiled before looking at his watch realizing the time, as he rushed upstairs to catch up with Rhonda as he smoothed back his feathers and readjusted his shoulder bag before skidding into the classroom on one foot to arrive just in time. He threw his stuff down next to Rhonda and took the seat to her left as she looked at him.

"What set you in such a good mood?" asked Rhonda perplexed.

"Oh, nothing," insisted Grif as he immediately dug the contents he needed out of his backpack.

"Alright, you better get ready, because Mr. Dull's history lectures are always a drag."

"I've handled Miss Simian for almost a year, I can handle someone like this, I promise I'll manage to stay awake as well," said Grif confidently as the yellow mouse gave him a sharp look.

"I bet you ten bucks you can't."

The lecture was about as thrilling as watching paint dry for the griffin as he leaned his head upon his arms, utterly uninterested in what the humanoid bug had to say as he droned on and on about the current subject.

"You see, due to the fact that-" said Mr. Dull in a dry voice as the griffin pulled the goggles his eyes so that he might sleep rather than having to listen to him anymore. Somehow the teacher could take some of the most interesting subjects in history and turn them into a snooze fest as the griffin looked behind him to see the entire class sleeping or spaced out. Even Rhonda was using all of her willpower not to fall asleep during the dull lecture.

"This guy is the next Professor Binns," muttered Grif as he tried to find a comfortable position to fall asleep on. The griffin's eyes were drooping as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The jarring sound of the school bell woke Grif as his head snapped up with a start. He looked around wildly to his left and right to see the other students packing up, some of them waking up from the lesson just like he did as Rhonda swung her bag over her shoulder, looking at him in amusement.

"You owe me ten dollars."

"What? No way, I was just resting my eyes," insisted the griffin leaping up from his desk energetically as the fixed the collar of his uniform, smoothing it out in order to look presentable as the yellow mouse chuckled to herself.

"You were totally asleep for half the lesson," said Rhonda laughing in amusement as the griffin looked at the ground somewhat embarrassed.

"Ah, cut it out Rhonda, it's been a long day."

"But it's only just started!"

"Yeah, doesn't change the fact that it would be more interesting to watch a snail race than having to listen to that lecture again," insisted Grif, crossing his arms.

"Fair enough," said Rhonda shrugging. "Come on, I'll show you around."

* * *

After a long day at Elmore Academy, the griffin was worn out as he sat down at the nearest lunch table before his head fell into his tray with a splat leaving mashed potatoes all over his fur and feathers as Rhonda sat down next to him.

"Enjoying your meal?" asked Rhonda, lightheartedly as he let out a groan of agony before lifting his head off of the tray.

"Rhonda, you've got to help me, I've got to get out of here, it feels like my brain is going to explode," said the griffin exhausted as his head almost splashed back into the mashed potatoes only being stopped as Rhonda caught him by the uniform and pulled him back.

"You're not cooking up a scheme to get yourself expelled, are you?"

"No, well maybe. The point is I can't stay here, I'm learning too much."

"What about making friends? Have you at least tried to do that before leaving."

"Well, there's Adele, and I bet hanging out with Ivan would be cool."

"Adele huh?"

"Yeah, she seems quite interesting and she's got a pretty cool guitar to boot. Even though I'm not really the musical sort," said Grif shrugging.

"Well don't worry, I'm sure you'll find your niche at Elmore Academy, and if not, you can transfer back to Elmore Junior High."

"Sound good. Now, I to throw this stuff away," said Grif taking his scraps off the table. Things took a turn for the worse however as he felt his foot slip of a patch of mashed potatoes that must have fallen off his tray. The griffin fell back in slow motion, the contents of his tray scattering in the air as they came crashing down onto some of the other students of the academy who were unlucky enough to get caught in the barrage. Next thing the cafeteria knew there was an all-out food fight going on.

Food in the form of hamburgers, hot dogs, mashed potatoes, and stuffing was flung around the cafeteria, sending the whole area into a state of disarray and confusion as Grif leaped underneath the nearest table as several splats signals that food had landed just where he had been standing a few seconds ago. The red and white griffin did his best to go unseen by the mob of people who were now fighting in an all-out food war. A pair of hands grabbed the griffin by the collar as he was crawling and he felt himself get yanked out of his hiding spot as he was brought face to face with a red bear who was all too familiar with him.

"Getting into trouble once again Grif?" asked Ivan as the griffin dodged as a spoonful of potatoes that was hurled in his direction.

"I'm actually trying to stay out of it for once," replied the griffin, though the large red bear wasn't entirely convinced. Grif sighed before facepalming. "Look, I'll tell you what, let's just get out of here and then we'll figure out whose fault is whose."

The red bear seemed to accept this as he let go of the griffin who flattened out his collar and let him sprint towards the door, only to find two disgruntled boys standing at the entrance blocking anyone from leaving. The griffin took the liberty of grabbing a tray and utilizing it as a shield as he blocked incoming fire from the two as he tried to sneak his way towards the double doors. A splat of mash potatoes hit both of their faces causing them to stagger back disorientated by what had just hit them.

"Adele?" asked Grif shocked upon seeing the blue-green drake who quickly grabbed the griffin by the arm steering him clear of several more volleys of food as they leaped and dashed over the tables avoiding the frenzy before launching themselves out the doors.

"That was close," said Adele, wiping the sweat from her brow as the griffin just stood there befuddled and trying to form words.

"Why did you try to help me?" asked the griffin surprised as drake rolled her eyes.

"You know, a simple would suffice," replied Adele snickering as the griffin fumbled with his words.

"Well, thanks a lot for the save, I appreciate it a lot."

"No problem handsome," replied Adele blowing a puff of smoke in the shape of a heart in the griffin's direction leaving him coughing and spluttering as she looked on with amusement.

"Wait, are you flirting-" asked the griffin before being cut off by massive arms being placed around him causing him to yelp.

"Did you cause all this?" asked the gravelly voice of the rather large toad that the griffin had encountered earlier.

"Uh, well I might have had a hand in it."

"That's all the proof that I need."

With that the large toad took him forcefully by the shoulder, hauling towards where he could only assume must be the principal's office. The toad has a look of grim satisfaction on his face as the griffin found himself clenching his teeth and trying to keep cool despite his unfavorable predicament.

 _'Aw man, what have I got myself into now?'_ the griffin wondered in terror as the toad opened the principal's office and ushered him hastily inside.

* * *

 **Thanks a lot for reading, I will see you soon with the next chapter! Leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Academy- Part Two_**

 _ **Grif must find a way to get himself out of hot water with a little help from his new drake friend.**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Who would have thought that Grif would ace a test, causing a food fight sure, but acing a test? I found the chapter quite interesting and enjoyed the little moments Grif had with Adele. Sadly, things aren't turning out so great for the griffin.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-All the characters like Rhonda, Reuben Dull, Ivan, Adele, and Big Mac (the toad), and Elmore Academy are owned by NeoNimbus if you haven't checked out his story check it out now, it's actually really good. That being said however Adele has only been drawn, so I hope I got her personality right. I'd imagine her to be a bit friendly and flirtatious given from what I know from Neo.**

 **-It was a lot of fun to write Grif in a major role as it's always fun to think of what he'll say or do in a given situation.**


	41. Chapter 41: The Academy- Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 41: The Academy- Part Two

As the griffin found where to sit he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. From what he had heard from Rhonda, Elmore Academy's principal was fair but strict and the griffin was worried sick that he had done something to break the rules of the prestigious academy and thus he would have to pay the price. He glanced around nervously to the many bookshelves that were laden with books, each covering a different subject. The griffin was surprised to see however what appeared to be old motorcycle parts stored on the shelf, there was a thin layer of dust covering them, indicating that the office had to have been vacant for some time. All other evidence suggested that this would be the kind of principal who wouldn't let dust besmirch such a sacred place as their office. The griffin leaned forward curiously to examine them, as the massive toad sat behind the chair grinning with what Grif could only describe as a look of mock politeness on his face as he placed his hands together, or more accurately his fists together as the griffin gulped nervously.

"Unfortunately, the principal can't be reached at the present moment. So, therefore I will be overseeing whatever punishment that I see fit," said the toad as he crossed his arms.

"Uh, with all due respect sir, the whole incident in the cafeteria was just a big mishap. You know: an accident," said Grif clarifying what he meant when he was given a quizzical look from the giant toad.

"That doesn't change the fact that you caused a lot of trouble in the process."

"Well," said Grif shrugging reluctantly. "Things happen."

The toad apparently didn't see this as a sufficient response as he slammed his fist on the desk causing it to shake violently on its legs. The desk, fortunately, seemed to withstand the blow though it continued to wobble while the griffin froze in fright.

"In order for you to learn from what you did, you are to scrub the trophies in the trophy room clean until they are entirely spotless," growled the toad as Grif looked on in terror.

"You know, you could have me do something else. I think I'll learn my lesson either way."

"No can do, you should have realized that before you started causing trouble for this school."

* * *

The griffin's arms burned and seared in pain, every nerve was screaming as he applied a new layer of wax to the nearest trophy. Big Mac had not been kind in his punishment, Elmore Academy's expansive trophy room was so large the area almost constituted a whole wing of the school. The griffin rolled up his sleeves, giving a grin as his eyes met the toad's. The grayish-green lumpy enforcer of Elmore Academy was keeping a particularly close eye on the griffin and his progress. He had forced the griffin to apply four coats of wax to each trophy, and the griffin had grumbled in response to that.

However, he had only finished about ten of the two hundred trophies that had been stored carefully in the glass case. The toad was certain that the rebellious griffin would learn a modicum of respect for the school after he spent the rest of his day cleaning through the entire collection. He had to admit one thing though; the griffin had a will of iron, he hadn't complained one bit since he started. Perhaps it was a show of defiance as if he didn't want to show any sign of weakness towards him while he worked. The smell of wax and its greasy texture was something the griffin would rather not have to deal with, but he had to.

The griffin rotated his arm slightly grimacing but quickly covered his face with his hand as if he was just wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He wasn't going to give Big Mac the satisfaction of knowing that he was starting to peter out and his right arm was starting to fail him completely as he wiped in little circles, getting rid of the layer of wax. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, blurring his vision and burning his eyes when they touched them.

"Take five," said Big Mac, his voice breaking the silence as Grif picked the trophy up in his trembling hands before carefully setting it down on the shelf. The griffin slumped down in his chair the second Big Mac was out of sight as well as earshot. The toad had muttered something about going back to the office to get another set of keys to unlock the next case.

 _'Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to that,'_ thought Grif sarcastically as he looked at the fans on the ceiling spinning and giving the griffin a cool draft of air blowing into his face.

A splash of ice cold water caught his attention, as his vision was blurred and the water left his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Upon wiping his face off he noticed a very familiar person in front of him holding a water bottle in her claws.

"Adele? You're a sight for sore eyes," replied the red and white griffin, fixing his uniform as the drake gave him a smile.

"I figured that I should try to see how you were coming along with the whole task of waxing the trophies."

"It's dull work," replied Grif yawning slightly. "I was hoping I would be done at this point. How'd you know I'd be in the trophy room?"

"Lucky guess. Don't worry, I've come here to get you out of all this," said Adele grinning as she tossed the griffin what appeared to be a red and black flamed skateboard which he examined closely.

"What am I supposed to do? Have Big Mac chase me all over the academy on this thing?"

"Preferably not, once the trophies are cleaned up I think you should make a break for it. It just involves a little more elbow grease from you," said Adele grinning as the griffin heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching the room.

"Hide!" hissed Grif urgently as the drake hopped behind one of the trophy cases, hiding her completely from sight as the lumbering form of Big Mac appeared in the doorway looming over the small griffin.

"Who were you talking to, kid?"

"No one," claimed the griffin quickly picking up the rag and tin container of wax before returning to his work and paying no mind to the toad.

"Right…" muttered the enforcer of Elmore Academy, squinting at the griffin. He would make sure he kept a close eye on him this time, he didn't want to have to clean up another mess.

It wasn't long before Grif was given another break as the griffin's arm had completely seized up. This meant that he would be unable to wax the remaining trophies, much to the dismay of Big Mac, who frowned in disapproval. It was clearly taking the massive toad a great amount of effort to formulate an idea for what he was going to have the griffin do next. This gave the griffin a few moments to rest and recuperate before the large toad gave a sinister smile upon realizing what task he should have the kid perform next. Whatever he was planning probably involve just as much work as before, if not more.

"Now that our little project here is mostly done, why don't we relocate to the cafeteria? To rectify the mess that you left there."

"Could you give me as sec? My arm isn't what it used to be," replied the griffin rotating his shoulder with a grimace.

"No can do, you have to fix your mistake and take responsibility for your actions, kiddo," said Big Mac frowning as the griffin gave him a pleading look.

"Ah come on, I've been working all afternoon, at this rate I will never return home till I'm old and gray," insisted Grif, readying his skateboard behind his back.

"Given that you have such a tendency to cause trouble, I would say that is a fair trade off," sneered Big Mac. "Now cut the chatter and get moving!"

"Well, you're the boss," said Grif with a mock salute of respect before kicking off on the skateboard and passing the massive toad in the blink of an eye.

"What the what?"

He had to do a double take before he realized that the griffin was already grinding down a railing before he slipped up, tumbling down the staircase in a jumble of limbs before he managed to regain his footing on the board. Thanks to the griffin's acute sense of hearing he picked up the sound of Adele giggling in amusement at his slip-up. He didn't let it bother him however as he attempted to duck underneath the massive, enveloping arms of Big Mac who grabbed the griffin off his board with ease. It was like being caught by a constrictor as the toad's grip on the griffin tightened around him mercilessly. With a bit of luck, the griffin managed to slip out of the arms of the toad as gave his wings a slight flutter. This loosened the grip on him and he out landed on top of his skateboard. The griffin hightailed it out of there without glancing back, while the toad lumbered after him. Grif wound his way through the winding hallways, using all his skills in synch as he turned the corner sharply almost running into several academy students before they flattened out against the wall while Big Mac hurtled through the halls with a surprising and unexpected burst of speed. The griffin looked back in shock to see that the massive toad was gaining on him, and fast.

"Come back here!" roared the toad going off the rails as the griffin whooped in excitement.

"Wahoo!"

* * *

For Adele, she was trying to take a short cut to get ahead of the griffin so that they could manage to get a few friendly faces to help get Grif in the clear. However, she was pretty sure that after a fiasco like this Grif would be kicked from the school without any hesitation. It was unfortunate, but it would be worth it in the long run especially since Big Mac wouldn't be too keen on having the griffin show up in the school every day. The drake sprinted down the corridors, trying her best to find one of her teachers only to find a rather tired and worn out Mr. Dull standing in front of her. She tried to sidestep him, but the humanoid fly held out his arm blocking her path.

"Ms. Drakon, I believe I still don't have your report on the American Revolution and its long-term effects on France and England as a result," said Mr. Dull in a tone that made the drake want to fall into a deep slumber before she managed to shake the feeling off. She couldn't afford to get held up by Mr. Dull, especially at a time like this.

"Right, I should have that paper on Friday," answered Adele quickly trying to walk around him only to be stopped once again.

"If you need any help about constructing your thesis statement, let me know and we can take our time helping you figure out your argument," replied Mr. Dull in an unenthusiastic voice as he took a slurp of coffee, giving Adele enough time to slip past him this time and start on her path down to the first floor.

Adele halted at the base of the stairs as she almost ran into the exact person she was looking. She managed to grab the railing just and time and grind the heels of her shoes into the stairs as the kangaroo looked up from the papers she placed against her binder. She had her hair dyed various colors with red, blue, and yellow strands and she was wearing a yellow sweater and jeans.

"Oh, hello Adele," replied the kangaroo pleasantly upon noticing her as she panted desperately in order to catch her breath.

"Hey Miss Rogers, I was looking for you, I was hoping you could help out in a little situation. You heard about what happened in the cafeteria, right…"

 **Five Minutes Later**

"And that's how it all happened," said Adele, finishing anticlimactically as Miss Rogers thought pensively.

"I think I know how to defuse this situation, come with me," insisted the kangaroo, walking up the staircase hoping to find the griffin before things were too late.

* * *

The griffin flattened himself against the wall as the powerfully built toad passed by him in a rush. He was safe for now. He dusted off his uniform as he got his bearing as he patted down his pocket for the map he was given by Rhonda. It wasn't there. The griffin cursed himself at his own carelessness as he remembered he had taken the map out of his back pocket when he was in the trophy room to look it over as soon as he went on break. The silent corridor allowed the griffin some degree of freedom to think without the din of hundreds of other voices bothering him. He breathed deeply as he carefully tucked Adele's skateboard underneath his arm, making sure it was secure before he turned the corner.

 _'You know this thing was quite handy, I'll just have to make sure to thank Adele for letting me borrow this,'_ thought the griffin to himself as he patted the board as if it was a trusty companion.

But the odds were not in the griffin's favor as he bumped into a massive form, almost as big as a mountain. The form wheeled around on its heel only to reveal the face of Big Mac in his purple track suit as he leered down at the griffin, who trembled in fright.

"Uh hi there, well it seems that I have made a wrong turn," said the griffin as he casually began walking away from him before taking off at a full sprint and leaping onto the board.

Panic and fear had overtaken the griffin as he did his best to outrun the toad, only skidding to a halt when he noticed a teacher standing out in the middle of the hallway. She was still looking down at her binder as Grif stopped just inches from her and darted behind her as Big Mac came lumbering into view.

"Miss Rogers, what an unexpected pleasure," said Big Mac forcing his face into a painful smile upon noticing her. "If you would be so kind to guide that kid over here, so we might discuss his recent behavior."

The toad focused his beady eyes upon the griffin with a look of immense disdain as he did his best to keep his smile intact.

"I think this little incident has gone on long enough, wouldn't you agree?" asked Jolly squinting suspiciously as the toad withered at the intensity of her gaze causing him to fumble with his words.

"Well… I, Jolly, he's the one that started the whole mess in the cafeteria. Someone has to clean it up," replied the toad defensively as Miss Rogers crossed her arms.

"I'm sure Ike will be able to clean up that mess," insisted Miss Rogers casually as she turned to the griffin standing behind her. "What's your name, young man?"

"Grif, Grif Sullivan," replied the griffin in a very hoarse voice, he was certain he was going to be in even more trouble because of his whole skateboard stunt.

"Now, Grif, from what I hear you'd like to go back to Elmore Junior High, is that correct?"

The griffin raised his head up in utter surprise as he fumbled around with the words in his mouth.

"Well, this place is nice. I'd honestly prefer to be back with my old friends is all."

"It seems like we can reach a compromise then, the griffin will not continue to go to Elmore Academy, and you won't have to deal with him," said the kangaroo as if the whole incident was like she was just having a casual conversation with them over a cup of tea as the two both blinked at her. "Do we have a deal."

"Deal, but if he tried anything like this again on this school's grounds, he'll be dead meat."

With that, the massive toad stormed off in a huff. The griffin, however, believed that he was fairly pleased with the results due to the fact that he would now have a Grif free school.

"Come on Grif, I'll escort you out," said Miss Rogers leading the griffin towards the set of double doors as he set off at a trot in order to keep up with her. Upon reaching the double doors the griffin mouth felt dry as he tried to find the right words in order to thank the kangaroo.

"Miss Rogers, thanks for getting me out of that sticky situation. Though I did wish things had gone over a bit smoother," admitted the griffin rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly before cracking a humorous grin. "Though I'm not going to miss this place."

Miss Rogers let out a small grin. "Well, none of this would have been possible without your friend here."

The kangaroo indicated to the drake, who had just stepped out of the shadows and gave a small wave at this. The griffin returned the wave with a smile. He was glad that he had the help of the drake and that things had managed to be corrected in the end, despite all the complications that happened.

"You going to be alright with going back to Elmore Junior High?" asked Adele as the griffin nodded.

"This was a fun little trip, but I think I would work best at a place like that. I'm not that big a fan of school uniforms as well," said the griffin chuckling as he itched at his collar.

"Point taken," said Adele, as Miss Rogers left them at the doorway to head back to her classroom. "You'll keep in touch, right?"

"Most definitely," said the griffin taking the skateboard out from under his arm to offer it back to the black and red skateboard to her. Though she pushed it back and placed it underneath his arm as she shook her head.

"You keep it, you'll get more use out of it than me, I barely use the thing anyway."

"Alright, I'll keep it if that's what you want," said the griffin thankful for the gift.

"Maybe I should have given you my other skateboard, it's pink and flowery, it would match your look perfectly," said the drake chuckling as the griffin gave a bemused look at this.

"Yeah, I could totally rock that look."

"I'm sure you could."

"Catch you later then," replied the griffin awkwardly.

At this, Adele pulled him in wrapping her arms around him to give him a small hug, before pulling away with a smile. "Hope to see you soon, and if you ever have some time off, let's make sure we meet sometime and see how things are going."

"That sounds nice, how about a trip to Joyful Burger next Friday?" asked the griffin with a smile.

"Ooo, is this a date?" asked the drake grinning in amusement. She could tell that the griffin's mind went blank upon this line of questioning. She was hoping they could do something fun, as she would be rather excited to show off some of the guitar riffs she had been learning to show off to the griffin. It would also be a good way to get some feedback on her performance. Whatever the case it would be fun to hang out with the griffin, plus it was a bit fun to tease him and give him a hard time.

"Um well-" said the griffin now flustered as he blushed a deep maroon color.

"I'm just kidding," replied Adele giggling. "See you soon."

The griffin gave a sigh of relief as he hopped on his skateboard cruising home after a long. Hopefully, his return to Elmore Junior High would be a pleasant one. Not to mention it would be fun to hang out with Adele again soon.

* * *

 **Thanks a lot for reading, and sorry for not updating sooner, I've been in a mad dash to plot out the last chapters of The Outsider and tie up as many story lines and/or plot holes that I possible can before setting off for college. The story is now at it's tail end, and I'm looking forward to finally being done with it after almost two years, to be honest I'm a little burnt out from the long run so you can count out the possibility of a sequel. I will see you soon with the next chapter once it is finished. Leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Trial_**

 _ **With some help from Kelsey and Darwin, Jake seeks to master his fear of water.**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: That Big Mac is one merciless, dude, and man can he run. I like how Grif refused to show the big toad any signs of weakness even though his arms were working overtime. It was also quite nice of Adele to save him and get him a nice deal at the end there. Looking forward to the next time those two meet up.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This chapter was probably the most painful to write as I had to go over it several times fixing it in terms of continuity and points that had to connect. To be honest I probably left out some points or little details here and there. This is also the first chapter in a long time to be under four thousand words as I just wanted to finish it and move on.**

 **-All the Elmore Academy characters are NeoNimbus' and I'm thankful he allowed me to use them for these chapters.**

 **-The next chapter will be done soon as I'm just finishing up the minor details.**


	42. Chapter 42: The Trial

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 42: The Trial

The shade provided one of the few safe havens from the bright and relentless sunshine. There wasn't a cloud in the sky this afternoon, and the temperature was heating up fast. There was a certain group of friends hanging out underneath a maple tree trying to keep the sun off of them, though the humidity made it almost unbearable to be outside. It was not a surprise that each one of them was slightly drenched in sweat as they tried to stay cool by fanning themselves or trying to take their minds off it. Without warning, however, the group received an unexpected surprise as water shot out of the ground spraying them with strong jets of water and drenching their clothing unforgivably causing the group to yelp and disperse with several jumping into the maple tree to be safe while the others congregated around the base of the tree hoping for some shelter. The jets of water eventually stopped and the sprinkler heads retreated popping back into the ground as they bubbled in the ground a reminder of what could happen next.

"Never again," said the red and white griffin, who's feathers and fur were particularly wet as he hopped down from the maple tree, taking his helmet off and quickly cleaning the lenses on them.

"Tell me about it," said the blue cat who scampered down the tree. He had accidentally left claw marks in his attempt to reach higher ground.

"Aw, what's the matter kitty doesn't like to get wet?" asked the dusty brown coyote, a grin appearing on his drenched face as he tried to wipe it off. The blue cat didn't take to kindly to this jab as he growled in annoyance.

"You're one to talk, I've seen a brick do a better job at floating than you," retorted Gumball crossing his arms as the other chuckled in amusement, though no one laughed as much as the griffin, who had to clutch a stitch in his side.

"Not a strong swimmer?" asked a certain purple fox as he pulled his red hoodie off a tree branch to dry his face.

"Not really," said Jake somewhat embarrassed on being put on the spot.

"It's okay Jake, I'm sure with a bit of practice you'll get the hang of it," replied Kelsey, running her hands through the longer hairstyle she now sported.

"Actually, I was hoping to get some practice sometime soon, this Friday to be precise," said the dusty brown coyote letting out a sheepish grin as the amber fennec fox turned to him in alarm.

"Really? Well, I know what I'm doing this Friday then, we're going to find you a spot to go swimming. Besides, someone has to make sure you won't drown said the amber fox shaking her head.

"That's a kind gesture Kelsey, but I'm sure Darwin could teach me-"

"I'm already committed, and there is no way you're going to change my mind," insisted the fox crossing her arms as the coyote shrugged.

"I mean, it would be nice to have a romantic stroll on the beach I guess."

"Only after you learn to swim, goofball," replied Kelsey, but the coyote knew that she had been thinking along those same lines when he had mentioned that and he gave a bemused grin at this.

"Well, I'm not coming along on this little adventure, I've got my own plans," said the griffin puffing out his chest with self-inflated importance.

"Would any of those plans have anything to do with hanging out with Adele?" asked Rhonda suspiciously as the griffin quickly shut his faceplate in order to hide his agape mouth.

"What, no, I'm just going on a trip back to Winslow to see some old friends, that's it," insisted the griffin brushing his hair back as he dismissed the question.

"Right," replied Brian wholly unconvinced, as the griffin continued with wiping his helmet's goggles off, paying no mind to the others.

"So, what shall we do on this fine day while there is still time to enjoy it?" asked Jake breaking the awkward silence for the group of friends.

"Fine day, Elmore is in a heat wave, this isn't exactly the kind of day we should be traveling out in the sun in, we might melt!"

"Ah, the heat's not that bad."

"You're the one who grew up in the desert!"

"Hey, I would honestly rather be a little hot than a little bit soaked," insisted the dusty brown coyote raising his hands defensively as Grif nudged him in the ribs.

"Uh, boss, I don't think that is going to be a problem," said the griffin pointing at the sprinkler heads that were gurgling as they once again popped out of the ground and firing at them mercilessly, this time succeeding in soaking all of them to the bone. Nothing was a bad as what happened to Gumball, however, as his mouth had just been the slightest bit open only for him to receive a powerful stream of water to the mouth and face, leaving him coughing and spluttering when it finally shut off. The orange goldfish seemed perfectly content with getting sprayed, water was his element after all.

"At least it cooled us all off a bit," insisted Kelsey in a bright mood, wiping water off her face. The spray had left her feeling quite refreshed and eager to do something as she noticed her coyote companion shivering and his teeth chattering as he tried to give her a smile.

She hoped that she could help him finally conquer his fear of water. It had been one long trip for the both of them since the year had begun, and with the daily strange occurrences in Elmore had helped strengthen their relationship like tempering steel. Some days were good, others not so much. But she was glad to have spent them with him, he was a bit of a goofball and still had a lot to learn about Elmore and what occurrences could happen, but they had each other and that was enough. The fennec fox took the shivering wet coyote by the paw leading over to the porch and out of the wet, soggy darkness underneath the maple tree.

"Thanks," said the coyote shakily as the fennec fox smile and laid the coyote's hoodie on his back.

"I'll always be here, dude."

* * *

The salty brine of the ocean was the first thing the coyote could feel as he stepped onto the beach, dressed in his blue and white striped bathing suit and a short-sleeved t-shirt as he looked through the jumbles of crowds hoping to spot Kelsey and Darwin amidst the massive crowd. The rancid smell of seaweed was all the coyote could pick up as he inhaled deeply through his nostrils, this made him gag. It took a moment for it to occur to him that this was his first time at the beach. Sure, he had been to a few lakes and rivers when he had gone on vacation when he had lived in Winslow, but he had never been set a foot in the ocean. The glowing hot sand burned even the staunchly tempered feet of the coyote as he hopped around from foot to foot. The coyote figure it would probably best for him to walk the beach line in order to find the others as he set off down the beach at a steady trot in order to keep his feet moving and not stay in contact with the burning sand. It was almost too much to bear as he ground his teeth in order to keep the pain in a small far away corner of his mind. Meanwhile, his feet were becoming medium rare due to their stretch on the beach. It was too much to bear as he shook his feet before dashing to the salty waves. Their fingertips were just starting to touch the shore, as the coyote plonked his feet into the water.

"That's one small step for a coyote, one giant leap for my species," said the coyote chuckling to himself. The whole idea that a coyote would be on the beach seemed like such an absurd concept now, he recalled that his father had once lived in Michigan at one point, but that was the only member of the Wiley family he knew had been near water, not even in the ocean.

"Congrats Jake," said a familiar voice causing him to wheel around in fright, as he landed onto the mucky shoreline getting the clumps of sand on him and a mouthful of salt water causing him to splutter in disgust before turning to surprise at whom he saw.

"Kelsey, boy am I glad to see you," replied the coyote still trying to expel salt water from his mouth. She was sporting a pink bikini and a baseball cap to block some of the glare from the sun. The coyote quickly leapt up dusting the heavy muck off of his trunks and out of his hair, he was certain that he looked like a right mess while Kelsey giggled.

"Likewise, you may want to rinse that stuff off though," said Kelsey, trying her hardest not to laugh as the coyote blushed due to this embarrassment. He jumped back into the water and rubbed the gritty and coarse bits of the shore that were clinging to him before emerging from the water feeling a lot less dirt than before.

"So, what's the plan, chief?" asked the dusty brown coyote, his ears perking up attentively in order to pick up any pointers or information that the amber fox would give him.

"First we were going to have Darwin teach you the breaststroke, I'll keep an eye on you from here. If you run into any trouble Jake, just holler, I'll be here if you need me," said Kelsey hopping down on her towel and propping open a book as she sat laying in the warm sun. The dusty brown coyote followed the orange goldfish obediently stopping only once they had reached the water's edge.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" asked Darwin as Jake hesitated, looking at the clear turquoise water with a look of both fear and determination mixed together on his face.

"Eh, how bad can it be?" said the coyote sounding a lot braver than he felt as he hopped into the water and started to swim out from the shore stopping only a few feet from it. He ensured that his feet could touch the bottom so he could just stand up to stop himself from drowning as Darwin moved out toward him with elegant strokes toward him.

"Okay, first up is the breaststroke, just follow my lead and you do fine."

The coyote's nerves screamed in protest as he followed Darwin's instruction, pushing the water behind him while his head bobbed above and below the water. The salty water stung and irritated them, but he tried his best to ignore the painful feeling as he followed Darwin into deeper waters.

"Good, very good," said Darwin calmly as if he was speaking to a small child. The coyote breathed in nervous rasps, it felt like the water was crushing him on all sides. He wanted to get back to land, the bobbing and swaying of the ocean was making him feel sick. In fact, he had no idea where the shore was as he looked from side to side trying to find the various red and white beach tents and umbrellas that had been scattered upon the shore.

"Darwin, we have to head back," said the coyote, the irritating fear of drowning was starting to set in as he swam up to the goldfish.

"Just keep taking deep breaths," said the goldfish patting the coyote on the head trying to sooth his spastic breathing. "Now, I'm going to take a dive. After I'm done I will resurface and then you can try it."

"What? Wait, don't leave me here!" exclaimed the coyote, but it was too late as Darwin had already plunged underneath the calm waves. "I should have gotten floaties…"

The goldfish dived deep, the cool and smooth water coursing past him as he paddled down getting a good look at the sea bed and the various colors of shells and rocks at the bottom. The sight left him breathless, well not really breathless as he was a fish meaning that he could breathe underwater thanks to his gills. The sound of something splashing into the water alert him as he felt the vibrations of it, and he looked up only to see the coyote now underwater. The coyote's cheeks were swollen with as much as possible, clearly indicating that he had just gone under after managing to get a large gulp of air. He was writhing and thrashing around in fright which only made things worse as more and more oxygen bubbles were escaping the from his mouth and floating to the surface at an alarming rate. The goldfish sighed before grabbing the barely conscious coyote and raising him towards the surface in tow.

* * *

The coyote spluttered and gasped for air crawling onto the shore of the beach before belching up mouthfuls of seaweed as he was carried from both sides with the orange goldfish to his left and the amber fox to his right. The sand stuck to his wet fur easily and it irked him slightly as he lay on his side and curled up into a small ball shivering, his lips blue due to him sinking so far into the colder waters.

"Maybe it's best if you just stay on the rest of the beach for the rest of the day Jake, you can regain your strength," insisted Darwin as the coyote tried to stand on his own only to fall over and having to have Kelsey grab him and hoist him back on his feet.

"Take it easy Jake," said Kelsey, patting him on the arm gently before lowering him down onto her towel.

"I've got to get back out there," insisted Jake, finally regaining his ability to speak as he tried to clamber up only for Kelsey to stop him again.

"It's noon time, it's best if we find some grub to eat before we try this again, you need to keep up your strength Jakie," insisted Kelsey, as Darwin giggled at the nickname she had taken to giving her boyfriend.

"Thanks," said Jake, who still seemed pretty out of it, as he let his head land back into the sand.

"Come on Darwin, let's get something to eat."

The dusty brown coyote munched on his hamburger making sure to lick off the sticky ketchup that was having the bad habit to glob to his fur making it quite annoying to eat. He looked out onto the horizon and the gentle roll of the ocean before turning his attention to the many people who were now congregating at the various food stands and carts in order to get their meals. Darwin was enjoying his box of French fries and Kelsey had taken to nibbling on her own greasy and delicious burger.

The coyote sighed as he turned to them, they were out here sacrificing their day for him so that he might learn how to swim. Darwin could be hanging out with Gumball going on their usual series of misadventures and mishaps in Elmore. Kelsey, on the other hand, could be spending time with Evelyn at the mall, yet both of them had promised him to help him out. He hoped that he could find a way to make it up to them, maybe he would get Kelsey a new book and for Darwin, well maybe he could use a fish bowl. This thought, however, was broken up as Kelsey got up brushing the sand off of herself and sitting down next to the coyote, who welcomed the company.

"This time I'll be training you," said Kelsey as she nodded towards to Darwin's direction. "He says he wants to go for a bit of a dive, it's not every day he gets to go to the ocean."

"Fair enough," said the dusty brown coyote nodding understandingly. "What shall we practice? Hopefully not more diving."

"No, not more of that, you can guarantee that much," said Kelsey shaking her head. "Just promise to stay close, I'll have my eyes on you the whole time just in case if anything goes wrong."

"That's very reassuring," said the coyote letting out a sigh of relief as he wiped the crumbs and sand off of his swimsuit. "Let's get going."

"Not so fast, we still have to wait for a bit for you to digest your food, it's still another half-an-hour before we can head out."

"…Right, well you're the boss. The less time I spend in the water the better I guess."

* * *

Eventually, it came time for the coyote to give it another go as he yanked off his t-shirt, struggling to get it off his head for a brief while before he threw it onto his towel. The dusty brown looked over to see the amber fox already wading out into the ocean beckoning to him. The coyote would persevere thought Kelsey as she looked at him stretching on the beach to delay the sense of dread that must be setting in on him, especially after almost drowning almost an hour ago. She treaded water in the place letting the water pass in between her paws and cool her fur from the burning sun overhead, it most certainly was a good day to be in the water. She hummed as the coyote slowly paddled out, his moves uncontrolled and more finicky than hers. He finally arrived, his breathing spastic and he looked at her with a panicked stare. The fennec fox grabbed ahold of the panicked and frightened coyote and brought him to her side, trying to ignore the sloshing of water and a few drops of water splashing into her face. She used her tail like a rudder as guided them to run as she position him in such a way that chop from small waves would bounce into the coyote or tire him out.

"Easy, follow my lead," said Kelsey reassuringly as she took his paw and guided it, showing him how to move it like a knife cutting the choppy surface of the water and pulling it back. It took the coyote a while to get the rhythm and pace of the front crawl, but he was starting to get the hang of it.

The coyote was learning quickly now, and despite his fear, he was performing admirably. The only factor now that was affecting them now was that the wind was picking up, and thus there was more chop to the water so that water kept splashing in both Kelsey's and Jake's faces as they spluttered and spat the salty water from their mouths.

"We should be good, let's start heading back to shore," said Kelsey shouting of the whipping of the wind that made it almost impossible to hear. Her once smooth and silky hair was sticky and clumped together thanks to the salt water, and Jake's hair was even worse as it looked as if someone had put a charged comb through it, leaving his hair scattered and messy.

The coyote nodded, doing a complete one-eighty as he started to head to the shore, he was much more confident. As he paddled powerfully towards the shore he saw Darwin starting to pack up their stuff. The coyote eagerly hopped out of the water, shaking himself off and feeling his fur poof out as if he was some ridiculous looking poodle, he swore that he heard Darwin snicker at this, but the fish made no further remark as the coyote picked up his backpack and other things he had brought with him to the beach. He looked out to the horizon and saw that the form of the fennec fox was not anywhere where he had just exited from the water, neither did he see her anywhere near the water.

"Wait, Darwin, have you seen Kelsey," asked Jake, his fear rising as he scanned the horizon for any glint of orange fur or a pink bathing suit. There was none.

"No, I thought she was with you," answered the goldfish peering up from what he was working on to meet the coyote's eye. "I'm-"

But in a blur of blinding speed, the coyote had seen a flash of dull orange appear above the waves, and it occurred to Jake what was happening. Kelsey was drowning. Without a moment's hesitation or a regard for his own safety, the coyote launched himself into the water, paddling like a madman to the spot where he had last seen Kelsey, but it became more apparent to the coyote as he entered the water of the tug that something wasn't right. He cursed his own foolish courage at not looking closer at the circumstances, both he and the fennec fox had been caught in a rip current and soon, he'd be pulled under as well. He felt the tug on his fur as he jerked forward, towards where he had seen the fennec fox. The coyote felt himself get dunked unceremoniously under the water as he tried to kick up to get air, fighting the powerful and untiring waves in a struggle that seemed beyond hopeless at this point. He could feel himself petering out as it became more of a burden and he climbed less and less distance towards the surface each time. Salt water flooded into the coyote's nose and mouth leaving them stinging but the pain was dulled by the fact he was already sinking like a stone to the bottom of the sea bed. A strong grip grabbed him underneath his armpits and wrapped around him and dragged him towards the surface.

The coyote awoke, spluttering and coughing up a large amount of water mixed with bits of kelp as he blew water out of his nose in a salty spray. It took a moment for the coyote to get his bearings and notice the various faces around him from the tanned and powerfully build, long haired lifeguard to the familiar faces of Kelsey and Darwin. Both were pale white and Darwin looked relieved, Kelsey's countenance, however, was almost unreadable.

"You alright little dude? You gave us all quite a shock," asked the lifeguard, shaking his long hair in disbelief.

"Yep, I'm alright. What the heck happened?"

"Your lady friend had escaped the rip current by the time you had been dragged under, so she went back in after you to drag you up from the bottom. I figure you three could use some room," answered the lifeguard, taking his stuff with him as he returned to his watch tower. Darwin also quickly left the spot, leaving just the coyote and the fennec fox on the shore with the rolling sound of waves crashing against the sand. The coyote's green eyes finally met the fennec fox's, and she looked furious now.

"You nearly scared me to death!" growled the fennec fox punching the coyote in the shoulder hard, leaving him wincing she sat there on her knees. "I could have lost you! You can hardly swim yet you jump into the water."

She shook her head as the coyote slumped down in shame, she was right, he had had no plan or solid idea. He had jumped in, knowing that he wasn't such a strong swimmer and had almost drowned.

"I was fine, I've been in tougher situations than that. I'm **NOT** a damsel in distress, and yet you nearly died for me!"

"Well, guess it shows how much I care about you," said the coyote with a grimace before the fennec fox gave him a chilling look. "I thought you could use some help was all."

The fennec fox's expression softened slightly, but she was still clearly mad at the coyote for the crazy stunt he had pulled.

"Well, you get an A for effort, but an F for execution," said the fennec fox dryly as she stood up and dusted off her sandy swimming trunk and reaching out for the coyote's paw. He took it and allowed himself to be pulled up by the fennec fox as they took a walk down the beach to talk about and reflect on what had just happened.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Forty-two (the answer life, the universe, and everything) chapters, hard to believe it, time is just flying by, and so are the chapters. Anyways, leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Swap_**

 _ **Things end up getting complicated for the coyote and Kelsey, and Carrie must be enlisted to sort things out.**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: I gotta say I loved the opening scene. It's good that Jake is once again trying to conquer his fears with the aid of Darwin and Kelsey. But dang did things take a turn for the worst by the end there. Glad things turned out OK, but that was quite the close call.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-It didn't take me that long to plan out and finish writing this chapter, as this is a story point that I wanted to cover since I first started writing the story. I had a pretty clear idea of where I wanted this chapter to go and I got to say, it made writing this one a breeze.**

 **-I had a fun time with the descriptions in this chapter as I was able to shift the setting from somewhere familiar to the beach which I found quite enjoyable.**

 **-Jake definitely was chivalrous, but in the end it was Kelsey's cool head and skillful swimming abilities that saved the day. Though she was touched by the kind gesture, she's a little more angry that he nearly drowned. Granted, things managed to work out in the end. :)**

 **-Jake has finally overcome his fear of water. Yay!**


	43. Chapter 43: The Swap

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 43: The Swap

The morning in Elmore finally arrive as the coyote's arm flounder to mute the alarm. After struggling with it for a few moments the coyote rolled out of bed groaning. Was it strange that was something off about the yawn? The coyote disregarded it, and moved over to the brown framed mirror in the room to check the reflection standing in it. The coyote rubbed their blurry green eyes as the image came into focus. But the image wasn't one of Jake Wiley. The image reflected back was a girl with a slightly different appearance. She had long and tangled brown hair that messily fell in front of her eyes, curled eyelashes, a button nose, a smaller jawline and higher cheekbones. She was rather pretty, but the coyote felt dazed and confused as vertigo and shock took over before she steadied herself.

"What the what?!" said the coyote before clapping her hand over her mouth upon hearing her new voice.

 _'What the heck happened?'_ thought Jacolyn as she shook her head vigorously in the hopes that she would instead see the image of Jake staring back at her instead, but the image of the girl stood there resolutely on the spot. The worst thing was how would she avoid getting noticed as Jake?

 _'Formerly Jake,'_ said a different part of her mind as she blushed in embarrassment. There had to be a way to hide in the meantime or at least find someone to help her out of this predicament. Her mind immediately flashed to Kelsey, she could help her sort this out, or maybe Carrie.

Jacolyn proceeded with caution out of her room, tiptoeing soundless down the stairs, her long hair somewhat obstructing her view as she brushed her bangs away with her smaller more delicate and soft paw. She was still somewhat shocked by the differences of her new body. She let out a sigh of relief as she noticed a note at the table left by her mother.

 _'Jake, we're going to a doctor's appointment to see if the baby is healthy and everything is alright. Anyways see you soon.'_ -Mom

"I've got to sort this out," muttered the coyote slinging her backpack loosely onto her shoulder before heading out the door and reaching into her pocket and quickly texting Kelsey.

 _'Can you meet me at the park in ten minutes?'_

 _'Sure, what's up?'_

 _'It's something personal.'_

* * *

The bright morning sun in the park made it hard to see as Kelsey shielded her paws with her eyes. As soon as the coyote had texted her she had changed into her new outfit, which consisted of a blue skirt, new purple cardigan, and a jacket. She had headed out the door with hopes of meeting Jake here. Walks like this in the park were pretty refreshing, as she typically brought Jake along with her. They discussed all kinds of things, sports, video games, school, or current trends, it was always fun and enjoyable to be in the coyote's company as he was in a bright and upbeat mood. She stopped at the oak tree that the coyote had texted for her to meet him at.

"Where are you, Jake?"

"Over here," admitted a girl getting up from the park bench, dressed in the coyote's casual attire. Jacolyn shamefully hung her head, much to the shock and surprise of Kelsey.

"Well, you sure have, become far more beautiful," said Kelsey very amused. The coyote's head snapped up and she blushed a bright pink at the remark. "What exactly happened?"

"I don't know, I just woke up like this," answered Jacolyn rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly as the fennec fox thought about it.

"Carrie should know how to solve this, but in the meantime, there is some fun girl stuff we can do now!" exclaimed Kelsey grinning as the coyote looked up in horror. "And don't worry, I'll text Carrie about this, she'll know what to do."

"Wh- What?" asked Jacolyn as Kelsey scrolled through her contacts and texting the ghost girl on the genderbent coyote's predicament.

"Come on, it'll be fun, I promise. Besides, Ev is out of town so who am I going to do this stuff with now?" said the fennec fox interrupting her as she grabbed her by the paw. "Let's go!"

It had been some time since the coyote had visited Kelsey's room, but it was nice to be back there again. The fennec fox eagerly guided her to sit on a fancy white chair in front of the vanity table and immediately busied herself with taking a hairbrush and curls out of one of the drawers. The coyote cringed slightly as she felt hairs get torn out accidentally as the fennec fox brushed and straightened the flowing brown hair, taking the rats and knots out of it.

"You're having fun with this aren't you?" asked Jacolyn somewhat dismayed as Kelsey teased her with a smile.

"Oh, come on Jacolyn, this isn't so bad," said Kelsey giggling in amusement as she put curls into her hair with her comb. "See, it's almost done, just needs a few finishing touches."

The amber fox quickly sprayed the coyote's hair, taking her off guard as she quickly coughed in response as the perfume fumes finally dissipated, giving off the lingering smell of lilac.

"... It does smell kinda nice," admitted Jacolyn, looking at her feet rather than at her own reflection in the mirror of the vanity table. It had been a weird day, ever since the morning when she had discovered the change.

"Hey, chin up and get a good look at yourself," said Kelsey encouragingly as she lifted Jacolyn's chin up to observe her reflection in the mirror.

The Wiley family resemblance was still there but altered. The long brown hair now tickled her face and she looked back into the reflection half expecting it to be a stranger, half convinced that it was really her staring back.

"See, much better right?" said Kelsey sitting down next to her almost like an older sister as she pulled Jacolyn closer to her side. "We're two beautiful dames, right?"

"I guess," said Jacolyn somewhat disheartened as she returned to staring at her feet. Kelsey gave a huff of annoyance, knocking her hair slightly askew as she looked through her vanity tables drawers.

"Ah here they are!" said Kelsey pulling out blushes, different colored lipsticks, and an assortment of different eyeliners.

"I don't know anything about girl stuff, how am I supposed to do this?" said Jacolyn eyeing the kits nervously as Kelsey smiled.

"Don't worry Jacolyn, I'll walk you through it," said Kelsey as she carefully began powdering Jacolyn's cheeks. Jacolyn occasionally glanced into the mirror as she observed her appearance change. Her fur was slightly paler, but fortunately not clumped together by the applied layer of makeup. With that Kelsey moved onto the next step, applying eyeliner wings before moving onto lipstick causing the coyote to glance nervously at the light pink hue around her lips. The fennec fox seemed very pleased with her handiwork, as the coyote looked quite pretty, and her fur shone like fine china. The coyote turned her head, getting a good look at herself from all angles before speaking.

"I look like a clown..."

"Don't say that you've got a wonderful new look, but I don't think the Henley shirt and bandanna really look proper on you, I think I have something more fitting for you, just let me check my closet."

The fennec fox dashed into her closet looking through the various outfits, from sportswear to various dresses, to more casual, cute, or punk clothing. Finally, she after a bit of searching she came across the right one. It was a short bright pink dress, with a blue jean jacket over it with a popped-up collar and a pink cloth belt that tied into a bow in the back, complete with a set of fine black gloves.

"Here you go, the perfect outfit! It's a bit cutesy, but it should be about your size as well, now go ahead and try it on," insisted Kelsey putting it right in front of Jacolyn as the coyote glanced at it.

Reluctantly she grabbed it and left Kelsey's room. Jacolyn returned in the outfit minutes later sheepishly walking into the room still holding onto her old outfit which she placed carefully on a chair in the corner.

"Aw, look at you," said Kelsey smiling. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

"Uh, thanks Kelsey," said Jacolyn awkwardly in response to the compliment.

"No problem, anyways, want to go someplace?" asked the amber fox, while the coyote shrugged. "How about the mall?"

"What?! Being in this outfit in your house is one thing, but going out into public dressed like this, are you crazy?! What if someone recognizes me?"

"We'll be perfectly fine," said Kelsey smiling. "Oh, by the way, I have one last finishing touch to your outfit."

Taking out a small jewelry box she removed a small golden pendant and placed it delicately around Jacolyn's neck. The coyote looked down at it, noticing the small heart engraved designs on it.

"There we go! Now let's stop wasting time and go!" said Kelsey, grabbing Jacolyn by the gloved paw.

"Kelsey!" shouted Jacolyn in horror as the fennec fox lead them out the door and down the stairs to the living room of the Springer residence.

* * *

The car finally stopped out in front of Elmore Mall as the two girls stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Thanks for the ride mom," said Kelsey waving at her.

"Anytime, you girls have fun!" replied Nora smiling at them before driving off.

"You don't think she recognized me, right?" asked Jacolyn nervously as the car turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Even if she did, she won't mention it to anyone else I can guarantee that for sure," said Kelsey reassuring Jacolyn. "Come on, let me show you around."

Jacolyn was hard pressed to keep up as Kelsey. She entered the mall with a blur of motion taking the escalator steps two at a time, as the coyote did her best to keep up. Though it was easy for Kelsey to outrun her, her years of her rigorous hockey training gave her an edge in this instance. It wasn't until that after getting bored of waiting for her did the fennec fox once again take her by the paw to lead them to the places she wanted to go. They passed one of the food courts which was easily the most crowded area at this time of day, forcing them to dodge and sidestep people. It took them a while to reach this first destination, which happened to be an old photo booth.

"Come on, in here," insisted Kelsey hopping into the booth as Jacolyn followed not wanting to be spotted by anyone as she kept her collar popped and brushed her hair over her eyes.

If one thing could be said for a saving grace of the outfit she had been given, it would be the fact that the collar actually managed to help hide most of her face as she stepped into the booth before flattening it out again. The fennec fox had already taken the initiative of setting up the booth and paying for the pictures. As soon as the dusty brown coyote. entered, Kelsey quickly pulled her close next to her.

"Ready for some fun pictures?"

Kelsey immediately to took to stretching out her face in a wide goofy smile causing Jacolyn to giggle with amusement though she quickly hid it behind a cough. They posed several times, the amber fennec fox placing bunny ears over the coyote's head for the first time, the next one was of them back to back trying to look cool, and finally the fennec fox after a lot of pleading, managed to get one of them both blowing kisses at the camera. After more goofy pictures were taken, both girls emerged giggling and looked over the wide arrange of photos. They collected them from the booth and Kelsey immediately took to looking through them giggling uncontrollably.

"Well these are pretty cute, I am SO keeping this one," said the fennec fox, pocketing the picture where they were blowing kisses at the camera.

"Well you got that picture you wanted," said the coyote shaking her head and giggling as she started flicking through her small collection of photos as well.

"Now what shall we do next partner?" asked the fox as the coyote stopped beside her and shrugging nervously. "There are a lot of different choices; the salon, the clothing department, or should we check out perfumes next?"

"We could go to Carrie's house, you know, to fix all this?" said the dusty brown coyote fumbling with her words as the fennec fox gave another grin of amusement.

"Oh, Carrie is not going to be available for a while. In the meantime, follow me!"

Jacolyn chose to follow the happy fennec fox. On one hand, she could stay where she was and risk the fact that someone might recognize her to be the familiar dusty brown coyote. The coyote had a growing reputation in Elmore and was much more likely to be recognized by its residents. The other was to follow Kelsey and do the stuff that was on her agenda. If it would spare all the trouble and explanation she would stick with the fennec fox, besides the girl stuff was a bit of fun, thanks to the fennec fox's almost boundless positivity and energy.

If Grif found out about this he would have an absolute field day with this sort of thing. Karma seemed to be thinking right along these lines as the griffin strolled out of the video game store he had just been checking out. The coyote tried actively avoiding him as she sat down at one of the mall's benches situated outside a particularly crowded and busy store. The griffin's head perked up from his handheld gaming device as he noticed the coyote.

"You look familiar, any relation to Jake Wiley?" asked the griffin, raising an eyebrow.

"Ugh, no, I'm just checking out the mall with my cousin," insisted the coyote nervously, but the griffin realized how familiar the voice sounded upon hearing it.

"Jake?" asked the griffin, as the coyote quickly pulled him aside by the arm, away from all the many people into an empty store. The griffin seemed taken aback and he almost fumbled his handheld electronic device because of this as he gave her a confused and slightly disgruntled look. The red and white griffin crossed his arms awaiting an explanation as the coyote sighed in relief.

"Okay, I'll cut to the chase," said Jacolyn as the griffin waited patiently. "I woke up genderbent like this, I have no idea what happened!"

"That's Elmore for you," said Grif shrugging. "That's a cute outfit too, princess." He humorously added.

"I swear once I'm myself again and it's your turn to be genderbent I am going to make sure Kelsey gives you this jacket," snarled Jacolyn angrily as griffin smirked in amusement.

"Whatever you say, ma'am," said the griffin giving a polite tip of his helmet as a sign of respect. "Shall I get the door for you on the way out?"

"Ugh, I knew you were going to be like this."

"Just consider it part of my loveable charm."

"One, you're hardly charming or lovable. And two, can you promise to never speak of this to anyone about this as long as we live."

"Deal, but I can tell someone is looking for you," said the griffin thumbing to behind him to indicate a certain fennec fox coming their way.

"Oh, there you are Jackie! C'mon there are a few things I want to show you."

The coyote girl mouthed the words 'save me' pleadingly to the griffin as he just smiled and waved goodbye. She was forced to follow the fennec fox as they ran off to another store. However, the fennec fox kept things lively as they traveled from place to place, often asking what the coyote liked or dislike about the experience of doing girl stuff. The coyote found quite a few pros, but not too many cons when she offered the fox her opinion on it.

"See, you're starting to think like a girl!" said Kelsey, who was quite pleased as she beamed at her.

"Thanks, guess it helps that you're giving me pointers," said Jacolyn, brightening Kelsey's smile even more.

* * *

The two managed to keep busy for the rest of the day. They temporarily stopped at the food court, before picking up on their activities. There was plenty to do and plenty to talk about, they even stopped at some of the sports stores and tried out some of the equipment there upon Jacolyn's request. After that they fennec fox resolved to a few small gift, trinkets, and even several movies and after that, they called for a ride back to the Springer residence.

Upon arriving back at the fennec fox's house, the two decided to find something else to do. They resolved to play a game of soccer in Kelsey's backyard and both of them changed into their sportswear. It was an intense and fun game of soccer, the fennec fox's natural speed and agility made her almost unstoppable as she outmaneuvered and outsmarted the coyote at almost every turn. She, however, was starting to catch on as she skidded and slid on the wet grass trying to block the fennec fox. Several times she ended up being successful, managing to deflect the ball and send it off in a random direction. Despite these best efforts the fennec fox was better versed in sports than the coyote would ever be. For every move, the coyote seemed to the make the fox seemed to be prepared and almost two or three steps ahead. It left both them fairly exhausted and they had to call breaks regularly towards the end. Fortunately, the calm breeze ruffled both Jacolyn's and Kelsey's fur as they sat down on the back steps of the Springer residence with Kelsey twirling the soccer ball in her fingers before dropping it back onto the lawn.

"Well, that was fun," admitted Jacolyn leaning back and running her paws through her long and sleek hair.

"Wasn't it a great day?" said Kelsey happily kicking her feet up in the air with joy. "See, you can have fun being a girl too!"

"I'll admit, it was tons of fun," said Jacolyn smiling as she and Kelsey scooted closer together as Kelsey put her arm around her shoulder and Jacolyn placed hers around the fennec fox's waist.

"You certainly helped out, I was scared to death, but now it's nothing to worry about, in fact, I'm totally used to this," said Jacolyn, dazzling Kelsey with a brilliant smile.

"I was more than happy to help girl friend," said Kelsey grinning as Jacolyn leaned her head on Kelsey's shoulder.

The amber fox gave her a tight hug at this as Jacolyn looked into Kelsey's eyes. The crystal blue eyes could have been a reflection of the sky they were so bright. She didn't care whether she was Jake or Jacolyn, she still loved Kelsey, that was something that would never change. She would keep loving her no matter what as she cuddled closer to her. Kelsey seemed to smile at this, Jacolyn felt comfortable and warm in Kelsey's arms.

Kelsey smiled. To think that her boyfriend turned girlfriend was cuddling up next to her was somewhat amusing, but she wasn't bothered by it, she was the same person she had grown to love. Also, it had been fun to get her to finally loosen up and let her hair down figuratively and literally. Her green eyes stared into her face, a smile across her face, the sunlight dimming sun shining across it making her look even more beautiful. The amber fox watched the dusty brown coyote blush slightly as if afraid of the feelings she still had for her girlfriend. Kelsey knew what she was thinking, and understood as lifted Jacolyn's chin up caressing it gently as they leaned in. And finally, they shared a kiss the bright light finally setting behind the treetops though the warm wondrous glow in their hearts kept them warm and felt like they were floating on air, Jacolyn was surprised when they finally pulled away.

"How's that for a kiss Jackie?" teased Kelsey, as the coyote smiled still somewhat shocked.

"Well, it was amazing for starters," said the coyote blushing.

"You bet it was," said the fennec fox before her phone suddenly rung and she checked her notifications and looked at her screen and scanning the text she had received.

"Now, I think Carrie may have a solution to your genderbent problem. It says: 'The spell once it is cast will return Jake back to normal', ready to head to Carrie's house?"

"You bet, I just hope things can be resolved with this spell," answered the coyote, standing up and brushing her jeans off.

"Well, next time you're genderbent you're always welcome to do girl stuff with me, young Miss Wiley," teased the fennec fox giggling as the coyote blushed.

"Uh, I'll keep that in mind, but I'm looking forward to being Jake again."

"Indeed, let's hope Carrie can rectify things."

* * *

The fennec fox and coyote changed back into their standard attire, before heading off to Carrie's house. The two entered the house, gave their greeting to Mr. Lokowitchki, and ascended the ladder into the attic of Carrie's house. The place was stiflingly hot, and rather dusty, with unused bins and boxes scattered throughout the area. Apparently, the griffin had somehow talked Carrie into letting him come along as he was lounging around on one of the larger boxes, starring up at the ceiling. The ghost girl, on the other hand, had as spell book propped open out in front of her as she murmured spells or some kinds of incantation. Jacolyn cleared her throat and the ghost girl leapt in surprise.

"Oh, you're here! I found the right spell, it should revert you back to normal. No nasty side effects or anything like that, this is a rather taxing spell, however," said the ghost girl flipping through the pages and looking at the proper way to cast the spell.

"Let's get to it," said the coyote, moving in front of Carrie and behind a set of boxes and a rather old antique clock.

"Hopefully this works," said the ghost girl determined as she began to swirl her hands in complex motions. A green ghostly ball of energy formed around them, lighting every corner of the attic as Jacolyn readied to take the full brunt of the spell, closing her eyes and waiting for it.

Despite how awkward the situation had been, at least the coyote had had Kelsey to help her out. Not only that but it had given a different perspective on life. Still, she'd prefer not to have to explain to Glenn and Brooke on how their son had suddenly become their daughter.

The spell hit the coyote in a flash of bright green light that was almost blinding. The sound of the explosive release of energy was deafening and the coyote felt themselves get thrust backward and onto their knees at the sheer force. The spell started to wane in power and the ghost girl closed her palm, stopping the flow of the spell. The second the light faded the coyote looked at their paws to confirm if they had been successful.

"Did it work?" asked the coyote, shaking unsteadily as he got up from the ground and dusted off his clothes.

"Yep, you're back to being good old Jake, not cute Jacolyn!" said Carrie pleased with the results as she gave the coyote a wink.

"Thanks for sorting all this stuff out Carrie," replied the coyote, who was very much thankful that he was back to normal.

"We actually have another problem…"

The ghost girl and dusty brown coyote turned to see a female pink and white feathered griffin and male amber fox standing where Grif and Kelsey had just been standing seconds earlier.

"We must have been in the impact radius of the spell," said Kelly tugging at the collar of his plaid dress shirt. "Now we have to get back to normal.

The pink griffin seemed particularly embarrassed as she stuttered for words.

"Change me back now!" screamed Griffina, still in utter shock at what had happened.

"I kind of expended my energy with that spell, it may take me some time for me to be able to cast it again."

The amber fennec fox smiled as he handed the griffin the frilly jacket to her only for her to shove it away with indignation, while the fox grinned, amused.

"Are you sure you don't want this? I think it would look good on you, miss," said Kelly chuckling in amusement at the genderbent griffin, who snarled in anger.

"Yes," said the griffin stressing the word as much as possible. The amber fox shrugged before turning to the coyote.

"Think we can spend the rest of the day hanging out until this stuff is solved?"

* * *

 **Another chapter in the bag, there are only seven chapters left, it's all going by quickly now. Also, I have something planned for the last chapter, I won't say anything now as you'll have to wait and see. Anyways, leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Rendezvous- Part One_**

 _ **When Jake and Kelsey go on a date they end up running into Ev and Randal. Will they accidentally ruin things for Ev and Randal? And will some of the ghosts of Randal's past be discovered?**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: What a shocking start to the day. I kind of expected Kelsey to give Jacolyn a makeover and take her out for a fun day. And I must say it's quite nice how Jake and Kelsey's relationship is at a point where even something such as this wouldn't keep them apart. Karma also seemed to get Grif or rather Griffina at the end there. XD**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Just to clear things up, Kelsey is bi. Which would be why she still kissed Jacolyn. Don't worry, Jake and Kelsey are a couple and that is not going to change.**

 **-Well things weren't too bad for Jacolyn and she had some fun being a girl, once she got use to it. Though whole thing could be a kind of a learning experience for the coyote to walk in the other gender's shoes. Thankfully though, the coyote is back to normal, though his friends still might have to sort a few things out. XD**


	44. Chapter 44: The Rendezvous-Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 44: The Rendezvous-Part One

The warm rays of sunshine made the coyote lean his head against the glass, effectively soaking up the sun. It was a good time to get rest of some sort on the bus despite all the yells and wild whoops coming from the multitude of unruly students on the bus, all discussing what they were going to do over the time that they had off. Masami was talking about going up to the lake that her family owned, to go water skiing, Tobias was bragging that he was going to go on a fancy cruise with the rest of his family. Jake didn't really want to hear it as he did his best to mute out all the noise. The long day of two quizzes from Miss Simian and a test from Mr. Smalls had worn the coyote out. It didn't bother him however as a certain fennec fox slipped into the seat next to him stealthily. Granted it spooked the coyote as the fennec fox leaned in closer to him to give him a small kiss on the cheek alerting the coyote to her presence.

"Kelsey?" The coyote bolted upright in alarm, his eyes bolting open.

"Relax!" said Kelsey chuckling in amusement as she laid him back into the seat allowing him to rest as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "You sure could use some rest."

"Definitely, sometimes it's just the mileage that catches up with you," muttered the coyote only semi-consciously as the fennec fox then kissed him on the forehead before the coyote drifted off to sleep his head lolling forward as she nudged him hoping for a response.

"Wiley, Wiley," insisted the amber fox only for him to give a snore in response to this. The amber fox smiled in amusement, same old Jake. "Never can get a moment to rest, can you?"

"What's the matter Jake's mind stop working or something?" said a certain griffin showing up, the crest of his feathers popping out in front of them.

"Something like that, and what peaked your interest?" questioned Kelsey, as the griffin shrugged hesitantly.

"It's probably because of that late-night assignment I had to complete, and Jake had to help me through the last part of it."

"Thanks, Grif," responded Kelsey rolling her eyes at him causing him to shrug helplessly.

"I'm sure he'll wake up eventually," insisted the griffin raising his hands defensively, before he poked the coyote, trying to see if that would wake him up. However, the coyote's head only shuddered slightly with the prod before falling still again.

"Yeah, but talk about a ruined moment," said Kelsey scoffing at the griffin. "Speaking of which I hear that there is someone you've got a crush on."

"Me? Nah," said Grif though his cheeks turned a pale pink at the mention of this. "Well, Adele and I are just friends and we did hang out a bit last Friday."

"Ah, how cute! You do have a crush!"

"I regret mentioning this," said Grif, facepalming in response.

"Have you two gone out on a date yet?" said Kelsey playfully teasing the red and white griffin who only became more embarrassed as a result.

"Um, no comment," replied Grif in response.

The bus came to a grinding halt causing all the students to slide forward and the dusty brown coyote's head to hit the seat in front of him jarring him awake. Rocky grimaced at the fact and gave a small apology as some of the students made their way off the bus including Kelsey who picked up her backpack off the floor of the bus and dusted it off and swung it over her shoulder.

"Well, this is my stop, later Jake, later Grif," as the fennec fox made her way off the bus Jake quickly grabbed her gently by the paw.

"Kelsey, wait! Before you go, would you like to um, go somewhere this weekend?" said the dusty brown coyote desperately as if he had just remembered something.

"So, you want to go on a date or something along those lines huh?" said the fennec fox giggling in amusement at the coyote as he let go of her paw.

"Yeah, something like that. Well, I figured we could do something fun, how about at ten in the morning this Sunday?" said the coyote grinning, a little less worried now.

"Sure, I'll meet you at your house then," said Kelsey brushing her hair out of her eyes and walking off the bus, not before giving the coyote one last radiant smile.

"So, what's going on?" asked Gumball grinning with amusement as Jake ruffled his fur with a smile as he stepped off the bus.

"Oh, nothing much," replied the dusty brown coyote casually as he continued to smooth his hair.

"From what I heard, Jake has finally decided to ask Kelsey out on a date, since your last one was to help Kelsey practice for the match."

"Ugh, don't remind me, you know I still have bruises from where the puck hit me," said Jake sighing as he rubbed his shoulder as if remembering the injuries he had gotten. "Still, it will be good to hang out with Kelsey and not be hit by a puck this time around."

"Ah, it's not so bad. Besides, let's take a load off for once and you can hang out with her."

"Because you've been working SO hard Grif," said Gumball rolling his eyes. "So about your date with Kelsey, Jake, do you think you'll be ready for it?"

"Oh yeah, for sure," said the coyote with a grin of self-assured confidence. "I have an idea of what we're going to do."

"Yes, but first I think you ought to take some of the advice that I have to give you first," said the blue cat raising up both paws to interrupt him. "And I think you need to get into shape…"

* * *

Jake shook his head in disbelief as Gumball hooked up the electrodes up against his fur. The coyote's smaller frame shook somewhat in fright at what could possibly happen, and he had taken off his Henley shirt and bandanna and had given them to Grif. While Gumball continued to set up the strange device to him, he had to admit he felt a bit uneasy.

"Let's see here, Electro Fat. Yadda yadda, side-effects may include electrocution, hair loss, hair gain, depression, euphoria, black-outs, amenisia, etcetera etcetera," Gumball muttered, not reassuring the coyote in any way,

"This is safe, right?" said the coyote double checking with Darwin who grimaced and gave a hapless shrug. "And with Gumball at the controls, I feel even less safe."

"That's why I'm here to make sure that Gumball doesn't go too far," said Grif in a tone of reassurance though Gumball frowned in disapproval.

"Hey, I'll start you off at the lowest setting just to be safe," said Gumball taking the controller in his paws. "You ready?"

"Well, ready as I'm going to be, though I still don't see the point," admitted the coyote with a defeated sigh.

"Keep your head up dude, I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"You're not the one with this thing hooked up to you," said Jake scoffing as Gumball began fiddling with the controls which immediately caused Jake to lose control of his body as he began shaking rapidly causing him to fall over as a result.

"Is this- rrreally necessary?" questioned Jake in between shocks.

"Relax, it should take only a few minutes," said Gumball absent-mindedly turning up the dial to its highest setting.

Jake shook and squirmed at the more powerful shocks of electricity which were now becoming unbearable for his body to take and he could smell the singeing of his own fur as a result. He could swear that the electricity that was shocking him might fry several of his neurons, all the while the machine continued to apply shocks to Jake. He bounced around like a ragdoll while Gumball, Darwin, and Grif were all wrapped up in conversation, ignoring the flailing coyote who was trying to remove the electrodes.

"Do you really think that Jake approves of this? After all when we tried this process on Mr. Robinson it was quite painful for him," said Darwin concerned as Gumball brushed his concerns aside.

"Yeah, but it worked on dad, right?"

"That's not the point though, we still don't know what will happen to Jake, however," reasoned Grif as the coyote continuously let out louder and more audible yelps of pain in response to the machine.

"Shut- ah! It off!" said Jake desperately as his compatriots finally realized what was occurring. They quickly caught on and rushed over to disconnect Jake from the machine and turned down the dial for good measure.

"You alright buddy?" asked Grif picking up the disgruntled coyote.

"Oh yeah, especially after that good old session of electrocution," replied the coyote dryly tearing his shirt and bandanna away from Grif and putting them back on.

"See, I told you he'd be unhappy with this," said Grif wearily as Gumball tried to come up with a counter argument but closed his mouth when none came to mind.

"Just do me a favor and never use that machine again on anyone ever again."

"You got it."

* * *

For the fennec fox, she was already prepared. She had set out the outfit she was planning to wear on her chair and had taken the opportunity to tidy up her room a bit. Stacks of paperwork from her teachers had begun to make her room messy, so she trashed the unneeded papers and organized the ones she still needed into her folders. Since all that was out of the way she, was now sitting on her bed and talking to Ev via her computer.

"So, planning a small little get together with Jake, are you?" asked Evelyn, smiling as she sat at her desk.

"Yeah, nothing too big, I just figured it would be nice to hang out with him. I mean Elmore has been crazy recently! Did you hear about the whole incident at Digiverse Tech?"

"Yeah, I did, hard to believe things managed to get sorted out in the end. Still, this is Elmore after all," answered the border collie shaking her head.

"The place where misadventures occur on a daily basis," scoffed Kelsey. "That should be our town motto."

"True enough, I can just imagine that on a sign," said Ev stretching out her arms as if imagining it was a sign that was standing right in front of them.

"I see that you're wearing that pink cardigan I got you for Christmas."

"Oh yeah, I figured I should switch things up and wear it a bit more."

"I knew it would look totally adorable on you."

"Well, you sure have a keen eye for nice clothes, I notice you've been trying out the makeup I got you."

"Yeah, nothing too fancy, I'm just going for the minimalist look," said Kelsey shrugging. "It did come in handy when Jake ended up getting genderbent, I did the makeup for him."

"Jake was genderbent?"

"He sure was. Before things returned to normal I helped 'Jackie' do some fun girl stuff for a change."

"That must have been fun," said Ev with a small giggle.

"So, Ev, I was wondering if you'd like to meet up after Jake and I are done with our little meetup and then we can then rendezvous with you," said the amber fennec fox brushing her hair out of her eyes as Ev replied awkwardly.

"Well, I kind of already made plans. So, unfortunately, I won't be able to make it, send that likable coyote my regards though."

"Will do, I'll see you soon then Ev," said Kelsey with a smile and a wave before shutting off her webcam.

* * *

It was finally Sunday, and the coyote was excited as he pulled on his shirt and backpack making sure to grab his wallet off his nightstand before exiting his room and sliding down the banister as a way to celebrate. It was going to be a great day, he was sure of it, as long as he played it cool and didn't mess up he was sure they were going to have a wonderful time. The coyote smoothed his hair as well adjusted his shirt brushing it off. He opened the front door at exactly the right moment that the fennec fox was about to knock. She was very pretty, and Jake was admitted stunned by her as his expression changed from a grin as his jaw dropped.

"Uh wow Kelsey, you look great," said Jake quickly complimenting her. The fennec fox was wearing the same outfit she usually did with a few variations wearing a hoodie over it and wearing a bit of eyeliner.

"You don't look too bad yourself handsome," said Kelsey, winking at him. "So, shall we?"

"I was planning on heading to a flower garden, I thought it would be the best way to start this day off, you know," replied Jake rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Are you just going to throw as many romantic clichés in today as possible?" asked Kelsey shaking her head and chuckling slightly.

"It's what I do best after all," said Jake dryly as she interlocked her arm with his as they walked off down the pathway to the Elmore gardens.

* * *

The strong fragrance of flowers almost overwhelmed Jake as he walked into the garden with Kelsey leading him over to one of the wooden benches and sitting him down before plucking a carnation from a small patch and putting it in her hair as she skootched up next to him.

"So? What do you think?" asked Kelsey, posing with the flower in her hair before plucking the pink flower out and twirling it in between her fingers and sniffing the flower letting the petals tickle her nose.

"It looks quite cute," said Jake with a giddy smile.

"Are you sure these flowers aren't making you all lovey-dovey?" asked Kelsey laughing as the coyote nodded somewhat lazily.

"No, I'm perfectly okay, I just have allergies," lied the coyote, causing the fennec fox to roll her eyes.

"You're about as sharp as a bowling ball right now," replied the fennec fox with a laugh. However, she did cuddle up closer to him and put her arm over his shoulder as the coyote fought off the fragrance of the flowers with all of his willpower.

"What day could be better than this?" asked the coyote rhetorically.

The fennec fox smiled, as the coyote looked at her with puppy dog eyes causing her to shake her head. The fennec fox twiddled the flower around a bit more before sticking the carnation in the coyote's nose causing him to gag at the sickeningly sweet scent.

"You know it does smell nice!" said Kelsey defensively as the coyote leaned away from her to sneeze into his arm several times.

"It is quite a strong and sweet scent," admitted the coyote rubbing his nose in annoyance.

They both blushed when their eyes meet, and at this, the coyote turned away busing himself with straightening his bandanna and checking to see if anything was in his teeth in the reflection of the water from the nearby fountain. Kelsey took this opportunity to run her hands through her hair before the smoothing out her hoodie as the coyote and fennec fox closed their eyes as they leaned in for a kiss. They missed however as the coyote slipped off the bench and slip past her. The fennec fox found that in the commotion a bit of the loose hanging cloth from Jake's bandanna had managed to wrap around her too, leaving both the fennec fox and coyote entangled. The coyote immediately tried to remove it from his end, only making their circumstance more complex and locked in than before as their faces were pressed up against each other cheek to cheek. The silky and smooth furs of the fox and coyote brushed up against each other. And for a time, they treasured the moment.

The coyote no longer needed to be afraid, he had confronted his fears head on and managed to triumph over them. How could a coyote who was deathly afraid of water manage to overcome it? The answer was, he had Kelsey, to brighten his every day, like a sweet sun shower. The fennec fox was a constant encouragement to him, and somewhat of an inspiration. She was brave and daring and had saved his skin from that rip current. He loved her and no matter how he changed or what changed in his crazy life in Elmore, he was sure that wouldn't.

The fennec fox was excited, she still didn't forget the whole fact that Ev had goaded the coyote into asking her out to the Semi-Formal. Had it been love at first sight? Was it just a sheer bit of luck that they had met? She liked to believe that they were meant to be together. That some invisible and unforeseeable fate had caused their paths to cross for the first time. Because of that, they had each other, whether they were going on a misadventure or just hanging out. They had formed an unbreakable bond to which they were both bound to. The fennec fox leaned in and kissed the coyote affectionately on the cheek before she managed to slip out of the coyote's tangled mess of a bandanna.

The sight of two very familiar faces, however, caught the fennec fox's attention as she turned her head. One was a tall, powerfully built charcoal gray wolverine, while the other was a petite border collie wearing a very familiar pink cardigan. It looked as if each of them had an ice cream cone on them and they were talking casually while their frozen treats were starting to melt.

"Ev and Randal?" asked Kelsey perplexed as the two walked by, oblivious to the fact that they had just passed the coyote and fennec fox who had been sitting on the park bench.

"Must be, otherwise these flowers are making me hallucinate," replied the coyote, untying his bandanna and getting it back in order before he straightened it out.

"What do you say we follow them, partner?" added Kelsey as she peeked out from behind a large bush at them. "I want to know what they're up to."

"It looks like they're on a date," said Jake matter-of-factly, as Kelsey gasped and pulled the coyote behind the bush with her.

"You don't think they're dating? Like for real, do you?" asked the fennec fox seriously as the coyote shrugged.

"Anything is possible I suppose."

* * *

"So, with all this stuff you must be awfully busy," said the border collie, licking at her raspberry and chocolate chip ice cream while the wolverine shrugged.

"I find the time I guess, and I wanted to talk to you about something," said the wolverine pausing slightly to find the right words. "I know I was a bit of a fool, how I treated you after Aaron scarred me. I was just I was so frustrated, and I didn't want to hear any more. I shut you out when I shouldn't have."

"It's alright, let's just focus on making our future a brighter one," replied Ev, grabbing one of the wolverine's larger paws in one of her own.

"It means a lot hearing that from you," said the wolverine with a sigh of relief.

"You're still on probation buddy," said the border collie, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "But, stick to this good behavior and you'll be set in no time."

"So, does this mean that we're friends again?"

"It might."

"Did you pick up on all of that?" asked the fennec fox, as the coyote nodded.

"So, did you ever know Ev knew Randal?"

"Not at all, well I did pick up on bits and pieces really. Ev talked about this guy she used to care about, but didn't talk about it any further than that. Guess something bitter broke their friendship up in the first place, it's hard to imagine how it happened exactly," said the fennec fox tapping her chin with one of her fingers.

"Maybe we should not intrude on their privacy, it could be something personal."

"What are you talking about, I have to make sure this ship sails!" said Kelsey, urgently as she looked at the wolverine and border collie. "Ev made sure we got together, we have to use everything in our power to make sure Ev and Randal are a couple. They deserve a little happiness, don't you think?"

The coyote saw her point, he might not entirely agree with that, but it did make sense. He sighed before nodding his head in agreement. "Here we go again."

Kelsey shot off like a dart after them, keeping her distance from them so she didn't alert them to her presence as the coyote did his best to keep up keeping low to the ground and tiptoeing as quietly as he could.

The border collie and wolverine finally found a spot to sit down in the shade by the lake's shore, finishing the last of their ice cream. The fennec fox and coyote had found a bush several feet from them to stake out while the other two talked casually. The glare of the sun made it a bit difficult to see, but the coyote and fennec fox did their best to see what was going on.

"I guess my past finally caught up with me," admitted the wolverine while Evelyn listened attentively to what he was trying to say. "I spent so much time running, I thought it would never happen. If I just kept myself away from everyone else and gave them the cold shoulder things would go on without me. Things didn't really go as planned."

"Well, the past is the past, but there is always the future," said the border collie, grabbing the wolverine's paw and tightening her grip on it. The wolverine was surprised by this gesture as he turned to her, startled. However, his expression softened as well as she leaned her head on his shoulder as they looked towards the shining sun.

Rustling in the bushes, however, caught their attention as the head of a familiar looking coyote popped out from behind one of the bushes. The border collie frowned slightly in disapproval at first, however upon noticing that the coyote was accompanied by the fennec fox as well her expression changed to that of confusion.

"Jake? Kelse? What are you doing here?" asked the black and white border collie while they looked at each other nervously.

"We were wondering what was going on between you two, we didn't mean to intrude, we were just curious," admitted the fennec fox somewhat guiltily as the coyote nodded in agreement looking just as remorseful as the fox.

The border collie growled in annoyance at this, but she realized she couldn't be mad at them. She hadn't been exactly open about her actions recently. She had hoped that she would have revealed the fact to Kelsey and Jake that she was seeing the wolverine again. Then again, it did matter if the wolverine told them about it first.

"It's cool, seems like you figured out my little secret," said Evelyn, relenting as the wolverine sighed deeply.

"I think it's about time I told you my story, my full story."

* * *

 **Six remaining. Anyways, leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Rendezvous- Part Two_**

 _ **Randal finally reveals what happened in his past that turned him so bitter.**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Ah Gumball, always bringing a sense of pain and misery to your friends. I really enjoyed the time Jake and Kelsey had together to enjoy each others company. It was a lovely moment. It's also good to see Randal and Ev getting along again after what happened in their past.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-Almost done with this story, I'm honestly looking forward to retirement for a while. XD**

 **-Figured the Electro Fat would be a nice touch to add a little humor to this chapter and make reference to earlier episodes.**


	45. Chapter 45: The Rendezvous-Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 45: The Rendezvous-Part Two

The little wolverine ran happily through his front yard, before tripping and rolling around in the soft and wavy grass. His father was no doubt searching the backyard for any possible location he might have used as a hiding place. The wolverine, however, was lying flat on his stomach on the lawn, clearly in plain view as his father noticed him. And with a strong heave, the older wolverine lifted his son onto his shoulder.

"Ha ha! Why were you just lying in the grass? I gave you a decent head start?"

The wolverine laughed uncontrollably as his father didn't hold back tickling him mercilessly until the four-year-old wolverine managed to hold back his father's paw. Even his father was surprised by this feat as he smiled softly as the wolverine started playing with his father's hand.

"Matthew?" rung a familiar voice from the front porch as the older wolverine glanced at his wife while she walked over to him.

"What is it Elena?" asked the wolverine, kissing his wife on the check.

"I figured Randal should go back inside and get something to eat," insisted the jackal, as the powerfully built wolverine lifted his son off his shoulder and handed him to her.

"You got him?"

"Yeah, I got him."

"You sure? He can be quite a handful."

The wolverine easily freed himself from his mother's grip, plopping down on the grass with a joyous laugh before he wrapped his arms tightly around his mother's legs as she tried to yank him off. The wolverine however once again proved that he had a grip of iron as he hardly budged as she tried to remove him. Realizing the folly of it, she chuckled, resolving to walk back inside, with her son still tightly gripping to the hem of her jeans and being carried along with her.

* * *

Several years had passed and it was the first day of elementary school for the wolverine as he jumped off the bus with a loud whoop of enthusiasm. He tightened his grip on his backpack smiling brightly as he crossed paths with some of the familiar faces from his neighborhood, like a familiar looking grizzly cub, who he immediately recognized.

"Hey Aaron!" shouted the charcoal gray wolverine enthusiastically as grizzly turned his back on him to not to pay him any mind while he played the toy in his hand. The wolverine was taken aback by the rude response. Then again Aaron didn't share anything, sometimes he wondered if he ever got along with anyone else at all.

This train of thought was cut off however as the wolverine heard the school bell ring, signaling the start of school and warning them they only had a few minutes before class begun, it was a crazy commotion and the wolverine ended up bumping into teachers and other students in a haze of confusion before a small dog stopped him from walking into the wrong classroom. They were around the same height, though the wolverine was just a hair taller than she was. She looked at him with soft brown eyes before they blinked, seemingly recognizing him.

"You're Randal."

"Yes, I am!" replied the wolverine proudly before he paused. "How did you know my name?"

"You live about half a block from where I live," said the border collie shrugging. "Plus, your dad always shouts your name whenever you try to ride your bike on your own."

Randal blushed in embarrassment upon realizing that she was right. Over the past several weeks his father had tried to teach him to ride a bike. The results had been less than satisfactory, almost as soon as his father let go of his bike he had easily lost his balance and gotten a few nasty scrapes on his shins.

"Yeah, that's me," admitted the wolverine somewhat ashamed as he tried to change the subject. "What's your name?"

"Evelyn."

"Pleased to meet you Evelyn, hope to see you around more often," said the wolverine smiling as he turned around headed off to his respective room.

However, the wolverine walked straight into a certain grizzly who growled in annoyance upon seeing him.

"Why'd you steal it?"

"Steal what?"

"My racecar," answered the small cub in a paranoid voice as the wolverine shifted from foot to foot nervously. His body language was not helping his case despite his innocence, as the cub glowered at him. The charcoal wolverine didn't believe he was being so petty, maybe he could talk things out if he played his words right. Fortunately, the border collie seemed to realize what was going on as she stepped in between them.

"He didn't take it, he was too busy talking to me to be able to enter your class and touch your racecar, let alone steal it."

This seemed to be a sufficient answer for the cub who growled and bumped into the wolverine but did nothing further as he walked off into the classroom in a huff. The border collie and wolverine exchanged looks as they tried to figure out what to say to each other.

"Thank you for having my back, Evelyn."

"No problem, you didn't really steal it did you?"

"What? No, of course not," said the wolverine reassuring just as the bell rang and he had to sprint into the classroom. "See you, Ev."

* * *

The patter of rain against the windshield of the car was the only sound Randal could hear as he looked into the inky blackness. The shock still wasn't wearing off, his father had said that his mother was gone, forever. Maybe he was too young to understand, but she couldn't be gone. Could she? She had always been there, loving and supportive. There were nights that she read to him before bedtime, keeping him secure in her loving embrace and reading to him in her soft voice. Or those goofy times in the kitchen where many messes had been made as he had been her little cooking assistant, often spill batter or brownie mix all over himself in the process. Where had all that time gone? What had happened to cause this? What did he do wrong? The door opened up to reveal a rain-splattered and rather tired looking wolverine. It seemed as if he had aged ten years, the lines on his face dark against his bluish fur as he beckoned for the small child to come to him.

"C'mon Randal," said Matthew his voice strangled holding out his paw for the small wolverine. The small wolverine backed away further into his seat, unwilling to leave his car. "Randy."

The voice of his father was soft and caring as the young wolverine reluctantly climbed out of the car into the storm that was raging around them as they walked towards an unfamiliar house. They were greeted hastily by a weasel. Randal shuffled obediently into the living room while his father talked in a hushed voice to the weasel, who nodded understandingly. After a hush fell over the house the older wolverine got up and walked to the door, giving a sad smile as he looked at the eight-year-old wolverine sitting on the sofa patiently staring up at him. For a time, his father seemed to hesitate at the door before he opened it and stepped outside. Randal leapt up from the couch and followed him outside, his mind racing in a frenzy. Why wasn't his father bringing him with him? The wolverine didn't understand as he sprinted outside in horror, not caring how badly the rain splattered up against him as the rain soaked him and made his fur heavy. The sound of tires whined as the Locke's car took off in a blur of speed, Randal wasn't sure if it was panic or some other emotion taking control of his father's actions but whatever the case he had to catch up to him. The stitch in his side made it difficult to think as he tried to ignore the pain and keep on following.

"Randal!" shouted the weasel desperately as she followed after him.

The wolverine followed as fast as he could, tripping and splattering in the mud as he got back up and pursued the car that was already turning the corner. He could still see the taillights of the sedan before something grabbed him and held him back from going any further. The soft brown fur of the weasel tried to comfort him as tears and rain streamed down his face and nose.

"Dad?! Dad!"

There was no answer as the car disappeared out of sight and Wendy pulled the small wolverine into a tight embrace as rain continued to fall on them. The little wolverine cried into her shoulder and she led him back down the street and into his new home.

* * *

It had been several months since the incident when his father left and the wolverine was shuffling through his locker in order to find some of his things before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He quickly did his best to brighten his melancholy expression before turning around to face a certain border collie who had a concerned look on her face. The wolverine instantly dropped the charade after seeing her expression. The red rings around his eyes made it quite obvious that he had been crying.

"I heard about what happened. I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your dad and your mom… Randal, I'm so sorry," said the border collie trying to make eye contact with him as he held his head down low. "I heard you kind of have a sweet tooth, so I helped my mom make you these. Hope you like them."

She held out a bag of cookies out in front of him and the wolverine begrudgingly took them as he sighed before forcing a smile. "Thank you, Ev, it means a lot."

He pocketed them into his jacket as the border collie smiled, pleased that he had liked her small gift. The two headed off towards the lunch room in a silent procession before they ran into the sight of an all too familiar grizzly cub who was blocking their path. The last several years had seen him starting to become more powerfully built and physically intimidating for the students of Elmore Elementary. Fortunately, in about several months the powerfully built cub would be moving up to Elmore Junior High as the school year was almost over. Things didn't run too smoothly as the grizzly did his best efforts in order to trip the wolverine while he walked, causing the latter to stumble slightly before the border collie grabbed ahold of him.

"What's your deal, man?" asked the border collie annoyed as cub simply shrugged.

"Don't waste your breath Ev, let's just get going," insisted the wolverine adjusting his bag and turning. However, when the wolverine tried to move, he felt something get yanked out of his backpack. The wolverine wheeled around in horror to find the photograph of his parents' wedding day in the cub's palms as he looked at it.

"Aw, how sweet is this your mom and pop?" asked the cub in a mocking voice as the wolverine's body went ridged as the border collie looked at the grizzly with contempt. When she spoke, it was slow in controlled but even the wolverine could tell there was an undertone of anger in her voice.

"Aaron, I suggest you give that back to Randal, right now."

The wolverine outstretched his paw, a sour look on his face as the cub motioned to give it back. However as soon as the wolverine's paw came close to grabbing it, the cub dropped the picture frame intentionally, letting it shatter against the ground in a horrific display as bits of glass and wood scattered across the floor.

"Oops, you're a bit clumsy, mate," said the grizzly with a condescending smirk on his face, reveling in the look of pain on the wolverine's face.

"Pick it up. **NOW**!" growled Randal as he bared his teeth together, even the grizzly seemed a bit taken aback by the wolverine's outburst as he fished up the damaged and shattered frame and photo as he brushed it off.

"Sorry about that mate, but as they say; if you have a past you don't like, it's best to bury it," the grizzly glanced at the border collie while saying this as he walked away leaving the wolverine with the shattered and damaged frame and the photo of his parents.

"Don't let Aaron get in your head, he's just a bad sport is all," insisted the border collie shaking her head as she grabbed the wolverine's paw and tried to lead him towards the cafeteria.

 _'If you don't like your past, bury it,'_ said the voice in the wolverine's head. There seemed to be some sort of truth in those words. Perhaps Evelyn was right, maybe he _was_ just letting Aaron get to him. The wolverine refrained from eating as he sat across from Evelyn, just prodding his food and stirring it with his fork but not bothering to take a bite. The border collie looked concerned at the fact he didn't have much of an appetite.

"You okay Randy?"

"I'm fine," answer the wolverine doing his best to sound convincing.

* * *

Several more years had passed, the wolverine was larger and more powerfully built thanks to picking up little league football as a hobby. The wolverine walked into the school with a new air of confidence in him. Some of the other students seemed to be surprised upon seeing the wolverine as a few of the smaller kids cleared out of his way as he walked over to a familiar locker before he stopped. The border collie seemed to be locked in a conversation with a smaller amber fennec fox who had a short haircut and a sky-blue t-shirt.

"That sounds wonderful, Saturday works for me," said the border collie brightly as the wolverine kept himself at a distance to not intrude upon their conversation.

"Sounds great! Saturday, it is," replied Kelsey Springer as she gave her best friend a small hug before they parted and the border collie went over to see the wolverine while the fennec fox headed off in the opposite direction towards the lunch room.

"Welcome back Randal," said the border collie, inclining her head slightly as she now had to look up at the wolverine as she smiled. "How was your summer? And you sure did grow, I hardly recognized you."

"Thanks, Ev, and who was that? That the fennec fox I've heard so much about?"

"Yep, that's Kelsey. I was wondering if you'd like to join us on Saturday after soccer practice, my dad is planning to buy us ice cream."

The charcoal gray wolverine shrugged in disappointment. "I don't think I would be able to make it, I've got football practice at the same time. I wish I could though."

"Fair enough, we can catch up another time," said Evelyn brightly as the wolverine did his best to smile. "And maybe you could meet Kelsey too. She's quite sweet, I'm sure that you two would get along quite well."

"That sounds… nice," said the wolverine pausing and there was definitely a certain coolness in his voice as the border collie frowned.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, of course not. Well, I was just hoping to catch up with you and get to talk," said Randal defensively as he shifted from foot to foot nervously. "I just don't want too many people around, does that make sense?"

"What's wrong with bringing Kelsey?"

"It's just that- It's because-" spluttered the wolverine nervously as the border collie looked at him confused.

"Yeah?"

"You know what, nevermind," growled the wolverine both embarrassed as he blushed, leaving him pink in the face. He had been intending to ask the border collie on sort of a small date, but now thinking about it the whole idea seemed stupid in hindsight. He turned away completely humiliated and walked off, leaving the border collie looking sad and hurt.

The football field was the one place Randal could channel his energies constructively by contributing to the team. He rubbed at the grass stains on his uniform and did his best to try and stay cool despite the beating sun. He was finally packing up to leave as he noticed Ev under the shade of the trees standing at the exit to the field. The wolverine wanted to reach out to her, to talk to her, but something was holding him back as got closer to the border collie who was pacing back and forth now before stopping at seeing the familiar sight of the wolverine still dressed in his football uniform. He could tell by how her hair was a slight mess she had been running her paws through it trying to think of things to say. Most likely she was thinking about questions about the wolverine's recent behavior. The wolverine paused where he was standing, he felt very much like his father as he walked out the front entrance after giving a small wave to the border collie.

* * *

Elmore Junior High was a much different environment for the wolverine, but he had quickly gotten used to it. The confusing and befuddling hallways took some time getting used to, but he was fortunate to have finally learned the layout as he stopped outside his locker before opening it and shuffling through his stuff. He tried to think about where he had to be next as he stepped away from his locker and tamped with his locker before walking towards the lunch room. However, he stopped when he saw the sight of three very familiar looking goons. Feral, the small little vicious gremlin who's leather skin looked as green as expired ham, then there was Blockbuster, the powerfully built robot who's metal fists clenched in eagerness for a fight when he spotted the wolverine. And finally, at their head, their dense leader Aaron Cutler, who seemed to be snacking on a sandwich he had stolen from another student.

"Good afternoon old pal, how have things been treating you? It's been so long!" said the bear smiling as he wrapped his arm around the wolverine as if he was greeting an old friend.

"Get the heck out of my way Aaron."

"Manners Locke," insisted the bear as he continued shushing the wolverine. "It's hard to come across someone with your particular talents in this school. Believe me, I've been watching you for a while and you would be a good little addition to our crew. Ah, I know what you're thinking! You might need a little incentive to join, but I figured with a little work you could be quite the asset… or even equal if given the chance."

"Not interested Aaron."

"Ah that's unfortunate, I guess I'll just have to have a 'chat' with Evelyn about your behavior. Oh don't worry, she'll be out of harm's way only, well only if you change your mind."

"You disgust me!" growled the wolverine as he snarled in contempt as he pushed the grizzly away. "You won't lay a finger on her or you'll find yourself in the hospital for the next week!"

"Oh, now things are getting interesting," said the grizzly pleased at the fact that he had touched one of the wolverine's nerves. "You have a habit of losing people who are close to you Randal, how long before you and Ev drift apart? Things are breaking for you, it has already begun. Speaking of losing people, how about mommy? Hard to believe she's been pushing up daisies for almost three years now. Still, it's easy for her being six feet under and being wo-"

" **THAT'S IT!** " growled the wolverine losing his cool entirely. He didn't care about school rules and about fights in the corridor. He was going to beat Aaron to a pulp after what he had said. The wolverine lunged at him, but the grizzly was prepared. In a single fluid motion, Aaron swung at him with his paw. The force of which knocked him down.

Randal felt blinding pain across the right side of his face from where the grizzly's claws had slashed him The dazed wolverine tried to get up, but he fell to his knees, panting and trying to stifle the pain as he brushed the wet tears from his face. The grizzly did nothing further as he and his posy left as soon as they could, leaving the wolverine in a pool of his own tears as tried to get up. The pain was excruciating as the wolverine got up and stumble into the boy's restroom as he leaned over the sink, looking at the newly formed red and ugly wounds that had formed on his face. The bright red scars were very apparent against his gray fur and he shuddered at the sight of them.

"How am I going to hide these?" asked Randal as he rubbed his paw against the burning scars.

The sound of another person entering the bathroom startled him as he saw a small porcupine who was only a year or so younger than him, begin to cower at the sight of him and his scars. The wolverine snarled in annoyance at the intrusion of the porcupine. The little porcupine turned away and ran out the door screaming as loudly as he could.

"Monster!"

* * *

Randal was standing in the hallways letting the smaller kids pass around him as rubbed at his scars in annoyance as they were prickling fiercely. He heard them whispering and muttering, but so far no one knew the real story about what had happened as it was all rumors and speculation at this point. Most of them did know however that Aaron, Blockbuster, and Feral had been kicked out of Elmore Junior High, but none of them knew that the two events had been interconnected.

"Hey Randal, wait up!" shouted the familiar voice of Ev from down the hall as she sprinted toward him skidding to a halt as the wolverine turned around showing her the new scars he was sporting across his face.

"What?"

"I heard about what happened. Well, I'm not really sure about it, most of it is just rumors really," said the border collie talking as fast as she could, before having to take a deep breath. "I want to know what happened and are you hurt? Those new scars look quite painful."

"That's no concern of yours," growled the wolverine so bitterly who swore that it could not have been his own voice.

"I'm worried about you!" admitted the border collie finally as the wolverine turned his back on her. "I'm not sure what's gotten into you. Where's my friend?"

"Save your breath, you're nothing but trouble," snarled the wolverine bitterly, as the border collie looked as if she had just been slapped across the face with these words. "Why don't you and Kelsey run off and do your own thing. Because frankly, I want nothing to do with you or her."

"I thought we were friends, maybe I was just a fool to trust you."

"People change, I changed. If you want to keep living in your fantasy land be my guest. But I'm done dealing with you!"

With that, the wolverine stormed away leaving the border collie confused as to what just happened. The wolverine expected to feel good about this, the savage urge to take his anger out on something had caused him to say those things. He now felt sick and empty inside at what he had said to Ev, but he knew he couldn't take it back and he would have to live with his actions.

* * *

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I know some of the things I said and did are unforgivable. I just wanted you to understand what happened to me," said Randal woefully looking at the ground while the other three looked at him in shock. Even Ev hadn't known the full story and Jake had been quite surprised even with his brief look into Randal's mind several months ago.

"We understand Randal, and we do forgive you," said Evelyn firmly as the others jumped in to support her.

"Yeah, all you were was a little gruff around the edges."

"You were lost, you can't blame yourself."

"If I don't blame myself then who do I blame? I must bear the consequences of my own actions," said the wolverine shaking off the coyote's response.

"But you changed, you recognized what you did wrong and you have become better because of it," insisted the coyote as the wolverine smiled softly.

"I suppose you're right about that much, though I'll still need time to process all this. Thank you."

* * *

 **Sorry for this chapter taking so long, both Steelwall and I are running a busy schedule with chapter writing and editing. There should be more on the way, if all goes well. Anyways, leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Child- Part One_**

 _ **When the Wileys host a baby shower both relatives and friends gather. What could go wrong?**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Great character developing chapter. It was nice how we finally got to see Randal's past that has been hinted to several times in the... past. Quite the sad and unfortunate childhood he had, but now years later he has come to the point of accepting his mistakes. Overall I really enjoy the chapter and how it went deeper into Randal's dark past.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This was probably one of the dark chapters of this story, and one I was looking forward to since the beginning. I agree with Steelwall that it was good to see Randal finally reflecting on his mistakes.**

 **-The end is the rapidly approaching for The Outsider, and I'm fairly certain you know what happens next. ;)**


	46. Chapter 46: The Child-Part One

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 46: The Child-Part One

It was a hectic day for the Wiley family, as the dusty brown coyote did his best to help the house look presentable as he clambered up the ladder to set up the streamers over the doorway while his father kept the ladder secure. The last several weeks had become extremely crammed with decorating and organization as the two coyotes and one wolf had been preparing to host a baby shower for their family and a few of their close friends. The house had never been cleaner, Brooke had insisted that the whole house had to be spotless. So, they had all hands on deck to fix things up. Fortunately for Glenn, his partnership with Gordon afforded him more time off to fix up the house in the last several weeks. But nothing had been quite as the transformation to the upstairs guest room, which already had been prepared with a crib and the whole room was repainted by Brooke who had done a great job with it, Glenn even teased her calling her the next great painter. Even the basement had been fixed up with some of the leaks and new carpeting had been put in place.

"Be careful son," insisted the older coyote while his son outstretched his arm to finally pin the streamer down. However, the coyote quickly lost his footing when he tried to step down, as his foot gave a sharp twist. The older coyote leapt to help catch his son as the ladder came tumbling down on them as well, only to miss them by a few inches as it fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

All the commotion brought Brooke over to them who noticed her son and her husband spread-eagled on the floor after the incident.

"What happened here?" asked the wolf curiously as the two of them got up from the floor and dusted themselves off.

"Just a little ladder trouble," insisted Glenn shrugging as his wife raised an eyebrow.

"Of course," said the wolf scoffing as she shook her head. "Just be a little more carefully Glenn and you too Snuffles."

"I hate that nickname," muttered Jake with a groan as his mother walked away back into the living room, where she was spraying the shelves.

"Come on sport, there's still a lot of work for us to do!"

Despite the large amount of work that the trio had to do, they managed to make short work of it as Glenn and Jake quickly hung the streamers and fashioned balloons before returning back to the living room. With the extra hands, they were able to clean the shelves and vacuum and steam-clean the carpets. Brooke was very pleased with the outcome but didn't stop as she prepared some of the food that she was going to give to the guests. Both Glenn and Jake were both very tired and did their best to keep up, but the lines and rings on Glenn's and Jake's youthfully face hardly compared to the dark lines that had now formed under the light gray wolf's eyes. For every task that Jake and Glenn did, Brooke seemed to do double. It was mainly due to the fact she was taking the liberty of doing most of the work herself, as she felt very proud of her own handiwork. Eventually, however, she swayed on the spot with exhaustion before Glenn caught her from passing out at the oven and lead her upstairs to get some rest and Glenn continued the cooking.

"Set the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees," muttered the older coyote as he did his best to manage the mess in the kitchen. The food came out slightly burnt however when it was finished, but it was still servable.

Both Jake and Glenn were both certain if Brooke had been down there the whole incident might have been less chaotic and random and the food would have turned out a bit better. They were prepared however and that was all that mattered as the coyote took himself out of the now stiflingly hot kitchen and out to the front yard where he sat under his favorite maple tree and busied himself with reading a book on space travel. The peace and quiet was soon punctuated by several familiar voices, as they came down the street to stop at the Wiley residence.

"Wiley!" shouted Grif with enthusiasm, as the coyote got up to greet him and the familiar faces of Kelsey, Brian, Rhonda, Carrie, Darwin, Gumball, Anais, and Penny.

The coyote was thankful that most of his friends were here, but he was sure that most of them were probably busy with other things. He was anticipating for Ev and Randal to make an appearance as well, but from what he heard the Lucks and Randal's adoptive family, the Rowes, had plans. He beamed at them brightly, making sure to give them handshakes and give his two closest friends Kelsey and Grif a tight hug when he got to them. The griffin playfully nudged him in the ribs because of this, while his girlfriend kissed him on the cheek.

"Gonna be a big brother! That's amazing news!" said the griffin as he opened his faceplate for a bright smile at the coyote while he shrugged bashfully.

"Yeah, the doctors are expecting the baby to arrive in a few weeks from now, at most a month," said the coyote putting his paws in his pockets.

"That's amazing! What are they going to call them?" asked Kelsey with a small shriek of excitement as the coyote gave a weary smile.

"Timothy if it's a boy or McKenzie if it's a girl," said the coyote, while the others offer their congratulations to the coyote.

"Big brother Jake, aw they grow up so fast," said Gumball wiping away tears as the coyote chuckled.

"It sure has been a long time since I first arrived here, hard to believe it's been close to a year."

"Yeah, you were absolutely clueless when it came to this town, now you're a natural. And the news about you being an older brother, it's fin-flapping tastic!" shouted Darwin enthusiastically before quieting down and blushing in embarrassment.

"Well, despite all the misadventures it's been an experience, I'll tell you that much," said the coyote smiling as he led his friends around to the backyard of the house.

"Almost reminds me of the time when I first moved into Elmore," said the purple fox smiling fondly at the memory as several of the others including the yellow mouse nodded in agreement.

"We have a bit of time to make the most of it while we wait for the rest of the Wiley and Olsen families to arrive," said Jake plopping down on the grass as they enjoy the brief moment.

* * *

And Jake's family arrived, the Olsens first, coming into the house and giving them many happy greetings and congratulations to Brooke. Jake was first to notice his grandparents Fritz and Tracey Olsen. Both of them appeared as if they had just returned from the tropics as they were both tanned and still dressed in colorful clothing. His grandfather patted him on his head and gave a small greeting while he rushed over to his grandmother to give her a hug. Following them were the children, and grandchildren of the Olsens, all of which were at least three or four years younger than Jake, with the youngest being Rigel at only eight. Brooke had been the oldest of her parents' three children. On the other hand, Glenn had been the older brother of two, the other being his younger brother Everett and his wife Beth. They had only two children, the twins Anthony and Ashley, both around fourteen. Anthony dressed as if he was going for a run as he sported a long sleeve black and green polyester shirt and jeans. Ash on the other hand when for a more punk oriented look, dying the tips of her hair a dark purple and her parents' opinion she was wearing too much eyeliner. She didn't care though, she was the more rebellious of the two after all.

"Hey little cuz, how's it going?" said Anthony with a grin of confidence as he lowered his shades and winked at the coyote. "I hear you're not going to be going solo anymore, enjoy it while it lasts dude."

The coyote chuckled at the gray coywolf's advice. Anthony had always been somewhat lazy and was the cooler headed of the twins. Despite the fact that he called the coyote's outfits out of date and rock music tastes tacky the two of them got along reasonably well.

"I'll keep that in mind, staying out of trouble?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm an angel."

"Uh huh," said the coyote raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well, maybe not an angel, but still on my parents' good side," said Anthony grimacing as the paw of the other gray coywolf wrapped around his ear. "Ash, good to know you're keeping an eye on me."

"Someone has to," said Ashley releasing his ear, which he rubbed in response to her tight grip.

"Ash, always a pleasure to see you," said the dusty brown coyote extending his paw out for a handshake, which she did not take as she pulled her brother aside gruffly.

"I'll catch up with you later little man, be sure to trash that bandanna and Henley shirt when you get the chance!" shouted Anthony as his sister began talking to him heatedly about what kind of rock sub-genre was better.

The grip of little paws around his leg told him he was not alone as he looked down to see the small form of Rigel clinging onto his leg. The small wolf pup hadn't been called Rigel for no reason, as his right eye had a large blue diamond surrounding his light gray fur, almost like a star.

"Hey there little guy, what's going on?"

"There are so many people…"

"You want me to help you find your parents?" asked the coyote, patting him soothingly on the head.

"Yes please."

"Alright, hold on tight."

The dusty brown coyote, walked to the living room trying to spot the little guy's parents as he dragged his foot across the floor. However as soon as the smaller wolf noticed the many unfamiliar faces of the coyote's friends, he shuddered against his leg, trying his best to hold himself in the same spot while the coyote marched forward. The end result was the coyote doing the splits and falling to the ground while Rigel refused to budge.

"Jake, what's the matter?" asked Penny floating on the spot while she tried to look at what was behind the coyote as the little wolf did his best to shimmy around the coyote's leg to remain out of sight from the shapeshifter.

"It's just Rigel, my little cousin, he doesn't do too well in large crowds. He's just a little skittish is all," insisted the coyote as he tried to get up before realizing the small wolf had pinned it to the ground. The griffin cleared his throat at this as he spoke up.

"Hey little dude, is that you?"

The wolf seemed to recognize the griffin's voice as he peered from out behind the coyote's leg.

"Grif?"

"The one and only. How's it going, little guy?"

"Great, I've taken up baseball back in Winslow."

"That's great news, I'm looking forward to seeing you play!"

"Thanks."

The familiar voice seemed to help coerce the wolf a bit as he glanced from out behind the coyote's leg again and again.

"Don't worry Rigel, they're my friends. You can trust them."

"Uh, I don't know, the walking fish one is a bit scary…"

"He's one of the friendliest guys out there, trust me," insisted the coyote as Penny approached the wolf, her light now shining down on him which illuminated his face.

"Hey there little buddy, would you like to meet the rest of us?" asked the fairy with a softness in her voice as the wolf finally released his leg, and in no time he was talking to them albeit very nervously.

"So do you like Elmore?" asked Gumball getting down to be level with the wolf as he nodded vigorously.

"Yep yep!"

* * *

The doorbell ringing late into the party most of the guests surprised as Glenn walked towards the door, only to get his path blocked by his brother. So the dusty brown coyote figured he would answer it while Gumball and Rigel were talking to each other, the blue cat being like a patient and mature older brother. The coyote wasn't surprised by this, despite his goofy nature he was sure that the blue cat had plenty of experience with dealing with his younger siblings and stepping up when his parents needed him to. The coyote stopped at the door and undid the latch as he let the door to swing open to reveal a rather aged and peppery furred man standing at the front door with a cane, and a fedora hat in his hand and a rather folded and ruffled, but still presentable suit.

"Ah you must be young master Wiley," said the stranger with a warm smile as he rotated the cap through his hands.

"I think you're at the wrong house, sir."

"On the contrary, I am certain I am in the right place."

"How could you be sure of that?"

However, their conversation was punctuated by the entrance of a very familiar griffin.

"Boy, that guy looks like he's planning to run in all thirteen states," said Grif as he glanced at the stranger who frowned and rapped him lightly on the head causing his ears to buzz. After a brief pause, the stranger did chuckle at the griffin's joke.

"That was good, but I'm not that old my feathered friend," said the stranger finally grinning as the griffin gave a small tip of his helmet to show respect for the old man. "As I was saying, I was invited to your baby shower."

"And you are…" said Jake hoping to get an answer from the old man.

"I figured that part would be obvious, I'm Donovan, Donovan Wiley, your grandfather."

Jake's face froze in utter shock. His grandfather? Now that the elder and graying coyote mentioned it he could see the Wiley resemblance despite the chiseled and aged lines on his face. He didn't know much of anything about the Wiley family besides Everett and the ghost of his late grandmother Helen. It must have been a touchy subject for Glenn as he never seemed to bring up the Wiley family, their family discussions seemed to always float more towards the Olsen side of his family. But if this was indeed his grandfather, it would probably best for Glenn and Donovan to keep as much distance from each other as possible.

"Junior?" asked the peppery furred coyote as he noticed his son walking to the door. The older coyote dropped the bowl he was holding in one hand, letting it clatter noisily as his eyes narrowed as if he was thinking the elderly coyote was some sort of mirage or illusion.

Both the griffin and youngest coyote saw this as an opportunity to slip away in the commotion as they did not want to get caught up in the crossfire or words or objects, because it looked as if Glenn was about ready to tear one of the dining rooms doors off its hinges and toss it at the elderly coyote. Donovan looked as if he was anticipating this action as he took a stand behind one the nearby shelves which might offer him some cover if Glenn tried something, but it was not the best option. Thankfully, it seemed Glenn managed to cap his anger or at least keep it in check as it looked as if it took all of his willpower to not dismantle anything he could to use to hit his father. The fact that he, Jake, and Brooke had just set up the house for the special occasion was probably the largest contributing factor.

"Dad…" muttered the coyote coolly as he crossed his arms and squinted even more critically at his father.

"Glad I finally caught up to you junior! Hope the last two decades have treated you well. Thirty-six, I believe, right?"

"Cut to the chase, what are you doing here?"

"I was invited."

"By whom?" asked Glenn frowning.

"By me," answered Brooke as Glenn turned around to face her with a look of shock plastered on his face.

"You invited him? Brooke, you're an evil mastermind," said Glenn somewhat lightheartedly while the wolf shrugged.

"I figured you could fix some of the bad blood between you two and have more of a healthy relationship, granted I knew you would protest to this if I told you about it."

The older coyote opened his mouth to argue, but he seemed to acknowledge the fact that Brooke was right as he closed it and nodded solemnly before beckoning for Jake to follow as the griffin gave him a shove of encouragement to get him going as he reluctantly followed the two older coyotes.

"Let's go to the dinner table and discuss like adults then I guess," sighed the older coyote as he led his father into the room. Glenn pulled up several chairs and waved at them. "Make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," grumbled the coyote while his father reclined back in his seat. "So, where do you want to start?"

"Whatever suits your interest the most," answered the aged coyote simplistically as he stared up at the chandelier in apparent interest in its crafting. It became very clear to Jake that the elderly coyote was uncomfortable at being in the same room as his father. Jake's father simply stared down at his glass, swirling the coffee around it while Jake felt as if the lively atmosphere in the other rooms had just been dampened by this meeting of father and son for the first time in twenty years. It was the youngest coyote who broke the silence.

"So, why did you never mention my grandfather to me?"

The peppery coyote's head jerked over to stare at Jake as his jaw dropped before managed to hide his surprise as he cleared his throat.

"Let me get this straight, junior," said Donovan trying to hide his anger as he only spoke directly to Jake. "You didn't tell your son anything about our family history?"

"What's there to know?" scoffed Glenn in annoyance as Donovan huffed in annoyance.

"What's there to know?" asked the eldest coyote his voice ice cold as gave his son a look of disapproval. The etched lines on his face seemed to disappear, giving him the look of someone several decades younger if the graying mane of fur hadn't given it away. The coyote could have sworn he wasn't in his household anymore, it was as if he was back in the old Wiley household with a rebellious teenage Glenn sitting across from him and the stern figure of a younger Donovan sitting next to him.

"Um, I'm sorry but can you two tone it down a bit?" asked Jake as he glanced nervously at the crowds outside of the dining room. All of them had stopped what they had been doing to try and get a peek at what all the commotion was about.

"You undervalue your role as a proud bearer of the Wiley name," said Donovan, snarling as Glenn refused to stare at his father, instead choosing to look at the ornate plates mounted on the wall.

"I prefer to _not_ have my family's ego handing around my neck like a dead weight, thank you very much."

"What exactly is so important about the Wiley name?" said Jake cutting across both of them.

"Some stupid crap about our family coming from the descendants of a bunch of Scottish aristocrats, not that it matters," said Glenn only making matters worse as his father turned red in the face with anger. "The Wiley fortune dried out a long, long time ago anyway."

This dashed any hopes of the coyote asking anymore about the Wiley family's history as Donovan got up from the table and busied himself with mingling with the crowd.

"Why were you so bitter towards him dad?" asked Jake curiously as Glenn let out a sorrowful sigh.

"Your grandfather believes in strongly in the Wiley lineage. As soon as I was born I was constantly hounded to be the best at everything. The best student, best athlete-"

"Does that mean you had to become a good swimmer?"

"That's not really part of the story," said Glenn, as the coyote rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"My bad, continue."

"Well, I always did the best I could. Needless to say, even when I performed excellently, my father didn't give me any sort of feedback. He was always too busy with his own work. So, I figured, why try at all? He's just distant with me all the time. It was like he was on another planet, Everett and I felt alienated in our own household. If it wasn't for my mother, I most likely would have run away from home earlier. However, I guess I do owe him some thanks, thanks to his constant pushing I tried out for track and got on the team, that's how I met your mother. The Olsens always felt more like family than the Wileys and our self-obsessive egos."

"It seems to me like your father is trying to make up for lost time," said Jake as Glenn looked up from the table to look at his son.

"How can you be so sure?"

"He obviously wasn't too pleased with how you broke apart. It seems like he's trying to give things another go and be a better father and be here for you on such a momentous occasion."

These words seemed to sink in with Glenn as he got up from his seat to find his father, leaving the coyote alone in the dining room, fiddling with his thumbs as he waited for any possible yelling in the household. The coyote thought it was a miracle when none came. He hopped down from his chair and turned the corner to see his father and grandfather chatting civilly. The coyote couldn't quite pick up on the words, but he was sure that whatever they were they were important. It was clear that Donovan had wanted to reconcile with his son, or at least talk to him, and Jake was glad that his father managed to understand and that they had found a common ground. As he passed the two coyotes both seemed as if they wanted to thank him, but couldn't find the right words to do so.

* * *

It was about this time as well that Jake finally managed to reach his mother who had been previously caught up in conversation with her siblings. The wolf greeted her son warmly giving him a rather feeble and tired hug, before releasing him.

"How's it going, champ?" asked Brooke as she yawned, inadvertently making Jake feel sleepy as well.

"Not too bad, dad and gramps have managed to resolved the differences, well at least for the time being," said the coyote shrugging while his mother gave him an encouraging pat on his head.

"That's great news! I knew they could resolve their differences. Besides on such a special occasion such as this, it's best to forgive and forget."

These words seemed to resonate with Jake as his mind flashed to Randal before he forced himself back to the present as he nodded vigorously in agreement. "Are you sure you're okay mom? You look a little pale."

"It's just the stress of the job," said the gray wolf lightheartedly as she grabbed the side of the counter to help balance herself. Jake didn't fully trust that statement as something seemed awry.

Just as Jake feared, he saw his mother turn as pale as a ghost as she swooned and fell towards the kitchen tiles. Glenn, who had just been walking into the room in order to talk to her, noticed this, rushing over and catching her in his arms just before she hit the ground. Jake was no expert, but he was pretty sure what was going on. All the house guests stopped their chatting and looked at the now very pale wolf in the coyote's sturdy arms. Her breathing was frantic as she touched the side of her husband's face, a look of panic stirring in her eyes.

"Glenn…"

"I know, I know. Someone call an ambulance, right NOW!" shouted the coyote making sure the whole room could hear him as one of Brooke's closest sibling dialed the number up immediately.

Jake could see that almost all color had drained from his mother's face. And Jake's friends in the crowd tried to battle their way up to the front, while the coyote could hear the faint sound of sirens approaching them.

"Just hang on dear," said Glenn, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder reassuringly as she battled to stay conscious.

* * *

 **Special thanks to Steelwall to getting this to me so quickly! Also, be sure to check his content out if you get the chance. I know I'll have to catch up with his stuff once The Outsider is done. There should be more on the way, if all goes well. Anyways, leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Child- Part Two_**

 _ **Things begin to weigh down on the coyote as he must keep secrets and hope his friendships aren't broken in the process.**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Family get togethers are always eventful. It was nice to meet some of Jake's family even if one of them was an unwanted guest at the start. Glad Glenn and his father managed to work things out in the end. Though I do hope Brooke and the baby are okay.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-We're on the very precipice of ending this story now, and this is the final arc to it, with the arrival of Jake's new baby sibling we have been expecting since chapter five if I recall correctly. It's been a long time and I've been plotting these chapters out for quite some time.**

 **-Anyways, I was glad to introduce minor characters like Anthony, Ashley, Rigel, and Donovan in this chapter so you could see a bit more of Jake's extended family.**


	47. Chapter 47: The Child-Part Two

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 47: The Child-Part Two

Pacing was all Glenn seemed capable of doing as he walked back and down the length of the room while his young son watched him. They were both in the hospital. However, they had not been able to see Brooke yet. The doctors and nurses had insisted that Glenn and Jake were to wait outside as they took care of Brooke. The fact that the older coyote was unable to see his own wife seemed to be stressing him out as he tugged on his hair before returning to pacing. The younger coyote simply sat in his chair bathing in shock and happiness. I perhaps a few short hours he might not be an only child anymore, the whole idea seemed strange, but butterflies were forming in his stomach, giving him a giddy feeling of joy that he had never felt before.

The door of the room opened to reveal one of the doctors, a band-aid still with his mask drawn over his face as he looked down at his clipboard, sighing before, marking some boxes on the papers and writing something down in the comments. As soon as Glenn noticed him he rushed over, blocking the doctor's path. He looked at him alarmed but did not do anything to stop him as the coyote continued to yank hairs out of his head, leaving a few patchy looking spots on his fur.

"How's my wife?"

"Mr. Wiley, I'm afraid there have been complications with your wife's pregnancy."

"What do you mean?" asked Glenn horrified and in utter shock just from hearing the few words that the doctor had spoken to him. The bubble inside of Jake seemed to pop as void of fear and despair filled it just as suddenly.

"I mean that your wife has gone into Preterm Labor," said the doctor pulling down his mask as Glenn looked on worried. "She wasn't expected to go into labor for another three weeks"

"What are the odds that something bad is going to happen with Brooke's pregnancy?" asked Glenn as the doctor avoided eye-contact. "Please, tell me."

The band-aid doctor seemed to hesitate for several seconds before resolving to speak. "There's a twenty-five percent chance that your wife and child will both get out of this unharmed, fifty percent chance that we lose Brooke or the infant, and another twenty-five that we lose both…"

The news that the doctor delivered seemed to make Glenn deflate as turned as pale as his wife had been. He slumped down into the chair next to Jake as he let out an inhuman groan of pain as the batter the side of his head with his fist before tearing out more clumps of hair.

"It is unfortunate, but we will do everything we can to make sure both of them get out of this unharmed," said the doctor, flicking through his papers on his clipboard. "Are you insured?"

"Yes," said Glenn nervously as the doctor scribbled down more notes on his paper. "I work with Gordon O'Quinn now. I used to work for Digiverse Tech before the building was destroyed."

The doctor sighed again as he scribbled something down in the margins of his paper. "Mr. O'Quinn's insurance plan isn't as good as Digiverse's. You'll be having to pay for most of the hospital bills yourself."

Glenn let out a growl of frustration and at this as he was back up on his feet and resumed pacing while Jake looked at the doctor with a worried look.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"We've done what we can so far, only time will tell if your mother's health improves or not. I'll leave the door open, I figure that there might be a few things you might want to say to her."

"Does she know?" asked Glenn suddenly, his eyes narrowing at the doctor as he tensed.

"Pardon?"

"Does my wife know her life is at risk?" asked the older coyote seriously, with a growl of anger.

"No, we figured-"

That was all that the doctor managed to get out before Glenn slammed him into the wall in anger keeping the doctor pinned up against his arm as he struggled to push it away. He snarled as he pulled back his fist preparing to punch the doctor. Jake swore he saw the animal behind his father's eyes, looking at the doctor for a brief second. However as sudden as this move was, Glenn seemed to understand the rashness of his actions as he released the doctor as he fell to the ground coughing and spluttering while Glenn back away and was promptly restrained by several aides.

"It's quite alright," said the doctor hurriedly while he pointed out the aides. "You can let go of him, I don't think he'll be any trouble. Will you?"

"That depends, do you have a good reason you're not telling my wife that her life may very well be at risk?" said the older coyote as the aides tensed to get ready to jump into action should the need arise.

"Very well, we don't want to put more stress on your wife than she is already under. If we told her about this she might be in a constant state of stress, and it might further harm the baby's delivery."

The reasoning seemed sound to Glenn as he nodded reluctantly.

"The door is open for you two, I figure there might be a few things you might want to say to her," repeated the doctor, somewhat ashamed as if he couldn't do more for the Wileys as he stepped aside, allowing the two coyotes to enter the room.

The very room seemed to be so clean that their feet squeaked against the surface as they took seats on either side of Brooke who appeared to be asleep when they sat down, but her eyes fluttered open when they were finally seated.

"You gave us quite the fright," said Glenn patting his wife's paw gently as she smiled at him. "How're you holding up?"

"Fine, I feel as fit as a fiddle," said Brooke confidently. She did seem a little bit less pale and the color in her cheeks was returning back to normal, but the fact that both Glenn and Jake knew that everything was not okay seemed to make it much worse as they covertly exchanged looks.

"The doc says it's only a matter of days before the baby is born," said Brooke breaking their chain of thought. "This sure is going to be a momentous occasion for our new life in Elmore."

"Agreed," said Glenn feigning a smile as Jake busied himself with looking out the window and twiddling his thumbs.

Jake's own fear and nausea were eating him up inside. He wanted to warn his mother of what might happen, the ordeal that she might have to face. He knew she was strong, she most likely would even pull through. It was more about the fate of the unborn child that worried Jake as his mother and father discussed things, mostly about how they would decorate the baby's room and what toys they might want to get. It didn't occur to Jake that his mother had been calling his name until the third time around.

"Jake!"

"Huh?"

"I said are you excited to be a big brother?"

"Oh yeah, I'm really looking forward to it, Gumball and Darwin tried to pass on what they know to me. Not all of it was helpful, but I figured I could use a bit of it to help out with adjusting," said the small dusty brown coyote as his mother ruffled his hair affectionately as the coyote tried to pull away.

"Aw, mom! Now you know why my hair is always a mess in the morning," said the coyote with annoyance as the gray wolf smiled in amusement.

"Just keep out of trouble okay Snuffles? I'll be here for a while, so I want you to promise to look after your father," said the gray wolf with a smile before looking at him softly. "And is there something you want to tell me before you go? You seem quite worried."

"No, there isn't anything," lied the coyote quickly as he thought of words of encouragement. "Hope to see you again soon mom, the house won't be the same without you…"

* * *

The news that Jake's mom was now in the hospital seemed to spread like wildfire, and the coyote could hear whispers of it in the hall, leaving him feeling pressured as almost every set of eyes seemed to focus in on him. All the sudden attention only made the coyote feel isolated as if there was some disconnect between him and his friends now. It was like being a castaway on a far out island, where he could hear whispers of things regarding him. However, whenever he approached one of these conversations they promptly silenced themselves hoping that the coyote hadn't overheard them. Even Miss Simian seemed somewhat concerned, asking if he was alright when the usually attentive coyote was staring out the window thinking about his mother.

Jake sat down on the front steps, he had just gotten out of an after-school club meeting. He sighed deeply as he looked towards the calm and peaceful horizon, hoping that it would take his mind off the crazy chain of events. The thundering of feet signaled that he was not alone as he hopped up preparing to get out of the way while Tina Rex stomped past him. It wasn't the case, however, instead, it was about thirty or forty students from both Elmore Junior High and a few from Elmore Academy gathered. In the crowd Jake noticed Gumball, Darwin, Anais, Kelsey, Grif, Brian, Rhonda, Penny, Carrie, Adele, Ivan, Mike, Randal, Evelyn, Cato, Alex and his friends Keith and Zoe, Bobert, Tobias, Banana Joe, Hector, Masami, Alan, Teri, Carmen, Rachel, Molly, Anton, Jamie, even Rob and Tina, and countless others all gathered on the steps.

"Hey, Jake."

"How's your mom?" asked the paper bear with a concerned voice as the coyote looked around from face to face.

"Wait, wait you all know?" said Jake shocked as the others looked at each other nervously.

"We sort of let the news slip, sorry Jake," said the amber fennec fox as Jake looked around at all of them in confusion as his head was whirling.

"Ah, my mom's fine, she's just going to be in the hospital for a few days," said the coyote, though his chest felt heavy with guilt as he said this as he knew that he wasn't telling them the whole truth.

"Oh, thank goodness," said the red and white griffin as he sighed in relief and patted Jake on the back. "With all that happened on Sunday, we feared the worst. It's good to know that she'll make a fast recovery."

The coyote nodded in agreement as he slipped out from under the griffin's arm and resolved to walk home alone as the group of students all looked at him in surprise at the coyote's sudden and unexplained departure.

"Do you think he's going to be alright?" asked Kelsey as she turned to her griffin compatriot who shrugged.

"I think he's just in shock is all, after all, not having his mom around must be a different experience. He probably wasn't expecting to be a big brother this soon as well."

"I don't know, something is fishy about this. Pun not intended," added Kelsey quickly upon seeing Darwin's expression. "I think it's best to give him some space in the meantime."

The dull hum of traffic seemed to pass the coyote in a haze as he walked to the park still contemplating on how best to address his friends on what really was his mother's situation. The news had shaken the very foundation of his world and it seemed like now it was starting to slowly unravel. There was no one to turn to, to talk to about this besides his father. It was in this haze of confusion that the coyote bummed into one of the last people he wanted to see as the grizzly let the coyote stumble back and fall on the ground.

"Aaron."

"Your eyesight is still sharp, that's a plus," said the grizzly sneering as he extended a paw for the coyote, which he did not take as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Yeah yeah," muttered the coyote as the grizzly did his best to act friendly towards the coyote.

"I heard about your mother, truly unfortunate, I hope she makes a rapid recovery after such a difficult complication with her pregnancy," said Aaron patting the coyote on the back and helping to dust him off as he guided them around the perimeter of the lake. "I apologize for my earlier behavior, but nowadays it's just so hard to know whom to trust. Especially since you're now buddy-buddy with Randal now. How did you accomplish that?"

"Listening and knowing when to keep my mouth shut," retorted the coyote causing the grizzly to give him an affronted look.

"Now that's just rude, don't you at least want to hear my side of the story? That way you can have an unbiased viewpoint and it'll help you see the big picture."

"Not interested Aaron, you and your cronies will get nothing out of me," said the coyote snarling while the grizzly looked down upon him like one would with a small child as he crossed his arms.

"A shame, I'll be sure to see you soon though, Wiley."

Jake watched him still cautious he might try something as he exited the park and using it as a shortcut to get to the Wiley household faster. When he crossed the threshold, there was no bright greeting from Brooke who would usually be doing something to keep herself preoccupied before dropping what she was doing to spend some quality time with her son before he got started on his homework. Instead, all he saw was a rather disheveled and tired looking Glenn laying on the sofa, his fur was a mess and his shirt was slightly unbuttoned and untucked. Jake could tell he had been taking at least several hours to do the calculations for the costs of the hospital care and what the Wileys would have to pay out-of-pocket due to losing Digiverse's insurance plan. Jake could see that all of this was beginning to take a toll on his father. He also had to bear the heavy burden of also knowing what might happen. The older coyote sighed before he sat up and continued to work on the papers and fill out all the ones that were needed.

"I don't know how we're going to pay for all this," muttered Glenn as he pushed papers and forms aside, picking out ones that were most important first as Jake sat silently down next to his father who almost seemed not to notice. The two sat in silence for a while, both contemplating the possible fate of Brooke in the silence.

* * *

Randal walked down the street towards the Wiley residence, he knew the coyote could probably use a friend in such a hard time as he walked down the sun-bleached sidewalk. It was most definitely a hot day and the wolverine panted, letting his tongue loll out as he walked into a very familiar grizzly who was busy with something in his paws.

"Aaron," said the wolverine tensing as he raised his paws expecting the punches to start flying soon as the grizzly seemed mostly uninterested in picking a fight with his long-term rival.

"Relax Randal, I'm not that kind of guy anymore," said Aaron with oily words that were enough to put almost anyone at ease, not the charcoal gray wolverine though as he kept his paws raised and his guard up.

"How am I supposed to believe that you changed, and so quickly as well?" asked Randal not flinching as Aaron showed the wolverine the head of a very familiar robot. The visor was still cracked and the antenna was still bent at a precarious angle and there were several scorch marks still on it. "Blockbuster?"

"Yes, ever since he was dismantled, well, I this is all I could find of him, I was hoping you might be able to help me find the rest of his parts," said the dirty brown grizzly in a voice that almost sounded sincere to the wolverine. Randal found himself wanting to help him despite all the warnings that were going off inside his head. This was the same person who had forged the gap between him and Ev, who had taken pleasure in beating down the coyote twice, and the same one who had some sort of vendetta against anyone. No, he would not trust him, he knew his true motives were definitely not genuine.

"Even if I agreed to help you get all the parts, you still missing one vital component: the memory unit. You won't be able to run Blockbuster without it."

"Ah, I see, and where might I acquire that?"

"I have no idea," lied the wolverine. He knew that the memory unit was now in Jake's care after the whole incident at Digiverse Tech, and the last thing he wanted was to have a rebooted Blockbuster. Even if he was reprogrammed to be a good guy, the robot's presence was still somewhat uneasy for the wolverine. It served to remind him of those times in Elmore Junior High, and Aaron most likely knew this as he gave a smug smile upon hearing Randal's answer.

"Such a shame, well I hope to see you again sometime in the near future old friend."

* * *

Things didn't get any better for the coyote when he arrived at the bus stop next morning to find Grif sitting on the curb, waiting impatiently for the coyote who skidded to the edge of the curb. He could tell the red and white griffin wanted to say something to him as he was biting his lip while the coyote leaned against the sign post feeling drained. It was the griffin who spoke first and it was so sudden the coyote felt as if his world had shattered.

"…Why didn't you tell me your mother had complications with her pregnancy?" said the griffin looking at him darkly. "Why hide that from me? Why Kelsey? Why not tell Gumball, Darwin or Anais?"

"It's something personal, and quite difficult to admit said the coyote leaning his throbbing head against the cool metal of the sign as the griffin stood up, his usual blue eyes were now as bright as fire.

"We're here for you Jake! You don't have to carry this burden alone!"

"Please don't tell the others," said Jake, already horrified at what their reactions might be like. "Who told you about this anyway?"

"Aaron, I didn't think it was true at first, but your reaction says otherwise," said the griffin as the coyote nodded. "Why not be level with them though, you owe them that much."

"I'm not really sure if that's a good idea," said the coyote, wincing, as the griffin shook his head in disappointment.

"Are you kidding me, Jake? You look like you've got one foot in the grave already, and it's my fault! We always look out for each other, but you're letting your fears bottle up inside you, it's not helping."

"Uh, the last thing I need is a group therapy session," said the coyote with a hint of sarcasm as the griffin nudged him.

"I understand that it's personal, and I'll respect your decision to keep it a secret… just don't tear yourself apart in the process," said the griffin glumly as he walked away from the bus stop as he launched himself into the air and took off in a blur of color.

* * *

Things didn't get any better for the coyote after school as he visited the hospital again to find Brooke very pale once again. Jake could feel the atmosphere of the room had changed this time, there were now nurses in close attendance to his mother should anything happen, the wolf seemed to notice this too but spoke nothing of it as the coyote found his seat and plopped down into it.

"How's it going sport?" asked the older wolf as she tried to hide the medications she had been receiving in order to appear healthy while the coyote twiddled his thumbs nervously. He didn't know if Brooke knew the news and he didn't want to be the one to break it to her as she coughed heavily before clearing her throat.

"It's been a bit difficult without having you around, and Dad's home-cooked meals aren't quite as good as yours," added Jake lightheartedly as the wolf smiled at him.

"Is he still managing to burn water?"

"Nope, he's graduated from that, instead most of the meals he takes out of the oven have to have a fine layer of fire extinguisher foam on them," said the coyote as his mother took his paw.

"Be sure to tell your father that I appreciate the hard work, but cooking really isn't his forte."

"Agreed," chuckled Jake as his mother tightened her grip.

"I'm proud of how you've adjusted to Elmore, son. Despite how different it is you made new friends and continued to do us proud."

"Proud?"

"Yes, we're proud of you, for sticking with all these crazy misadventures you have in this town, managing to keep your grades up, and meeting new people," insisted the older wolf as she ruffled her son's fur affectionally as he sighed.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence and I'll do my best to continue to make you proud."

"That's the most we can ask from you, young man," said Brooke wiping away a small tear while the coyote also felt his eyes stinging trying to hold back tears.

"I'd better go, dad will start wondering where I am, besides, it's chicken pot pie tonight. I'm hoping that he actually gets it right, can't get my hopes up, however," said the coyote with a smile as he picked himself up from his seat and gave his mother one last hug goodbye.

* * *

Randal stood on the hilltop, his eyes burning like coals as he looked at the note in his hand.

 _'Home havoc treating you well Randal? Meet me at the football field after school and we'll have a nice little chat.'_ -Aaron

The sound of a girl panting as she ran up to him was the only thing that caught his attention as the border collie stopped right in front of him. He promptly crumpled up the note in his paw and tossed it into the lake snarling.

"You're seriously not going to throw yourself at him again, are you?" asked Evelyn as the wolverine shrugged.

"It may be the only way to end this, otherwise he'll keep bothering us with no clear end in sight."

"I understand, and I'm with you every step of the way this time, no need to go it alone."

"Thanks, Ev."

The wolverine looked at the storm clouds forming overhead, it was all or nothing. He wasn't going to be humiliated for a second time if the grizzly was trying to incite him into a fight he would oblige. But he would be the better man this time, he wasn't going to hold back, or try to cheat and stoop to the grizzly's level. He would win fair and square, and he would make the grizzly swear to stay out of the wolverine's and border collie's affairs once and for all.

The border collie, on the other hand, was looking down at the crystalline surface of the lake. Was the wolverine being dragged back into the same habits he had fought so hard to break out of? What could she do to persuade him not to go running at the problem again? All she knew was that friendship was the only tether keeping the wolverine from going back to his old habits.

* * *

 **Feel free to leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Child- Part Three_**

 _ **Randal confronts Aaron at the football field, while Jake struggles with his burden. Will things get better for the coyote? And will the child and Brooke make it out alive?**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Some of us might have thought that everything would turn out just fine, no issues and no complications. Nope, instead we get the reality of the situation. Brooke and the baby's life is on the line and the odds don't look too good. I think the emotions and reactions were capture nicely as everyone deals with what's going on in their own way. And then there's the icing on top of this bitter cake. Aaron has come in with an agenda. Is it good or bad, we'll find out soon enough.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This chapter took a darker turn as I wanted to show Jake struggling a bit and how such a shocking secret has started to wear on him and his relationship between his friends, particularly Grif.**

 **-Aaron will soon have a comeuppance in store for him, well that is if Randal beats him.**


	48. Chapter 48: The Child-Part Three

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 48: The Child-Part Three

Tears streamed down Jake's face while rain splashed against his fur leaving it damp and heavy while he stared out the massive storm clouds. The dreary weather seemed to be capturing the mood of the day perfectly while the coyote shivered uncomfortably and sat down on the nearest bench. Bad luck had long since dashed any hope or chance of any good news about his mother's state. Would things get better or worse? He didn't know, but he had to admit, he wasn't too optimistic at the moment. The sound of the door behind him opening was a surprise, and a certain yellow mouse to stepped out and sat down next to him, making the small dusty brown and rain splattered coyote feel not quite so alone.

"Grif told me about what happened, he figured you would be mad at him, but he said you could use a little sympathy," said Rhonda, as the coyote turned his head to look at her. His fur was now an untidy mess and he had red rings around his eyes.

"Sympathy?" asked the coyote his voice cracking due to lack of use.

"I was in the same boat years ago…"

"You lost your mother, Rhonda?"

The yellow mouse nodded glumly as the coyote looked at her shocked as his expression of grief turned to sorrow for her.

"I had no idea Rhonda, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, I don't remember much about it. I was only six when it happened."

"No one child should have to go through that, Rhonda, I…"

"Sometimes you have to play with the hand you're dealt," said Rhonda looking at the gray and gloomy horizon. The two were then silent for a long time as they both stared at the storm clouds as rain continued to pound against them relentlessly. "And I like to think she'd be proud of who I have become."

"It's just a memory for you now though, right? You hardly remember her. Will the same thing happen to me? Will I forget about my mother or the unborn child she bore?" asked the coyote, glumly, in deep thought as the yellow mouse wrapped her arm around his shoulder as she comforted him.

"Jake, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. I'm one of your friends and if you ever need to talk to me about this and get this off your chest I'll be there in a hurry. I promise."

"Thanks, Rhonda," replied the coyote halfheartedly, but touched by the fact the yellow mouse had reached out to him. He guessed Grif was right, sometimes it was best to have friends to help you through even the darkest of times, they made the world seem not so sad, empty, or all alone.

"Just remember to take care of those people closest to you," said the yellow mouse smiling as she got up from the bench and gave the coyote a friend hug. "Now, I figure there is a special someone who would like to talk to you. I leave you two lovebirds alone."

"What? Wait, Rhonda, come back!" said Jake as the yellow mouse just waved goodbye and motioned that he should turn around. So the bewildered coyote spun on the spot to see a rain soaked fennec fox standing in front of him.

Jake was never so happy to see another soul standing in front of him as her. Her worried look said it all as she took his paws and took a deep breath. The coyote could tell that this was big news for the fennec fox to hear, and he was sure that the griffin had something to do with it, he would have to give his old friend many thanks after this was all over. A wave of guilt washed over the coyote now, this should have been the first person he had told about what had happened, the one person who would've understood. They were there for each other through thick and thin, and he was sure that she felt the same way.

"I'm sorry to hear what happened with your mom. She's strong and I'm sure she'll be okay, but it's frightening to think about. I haven't told my mom or dad yet, but I'm sure that we'll take you and your father in like family if things go south, though I hope they don't."

Neither of them could find any words to say after this. The coyote's stomach was still sick at thinking what might happen and the fennec fox mouth was dry and no words seemed to spring to mind. They look into each other's eyes letting the blue and green meet. The two leaned their heads in together letting their muzzles touch as they let the rain fall down upon them.

After breaking apart the dusty brown coyote realized with a sudden jolt that he had left his locker open when he had walked out here after school without grabbing his backpack or other things. He ran back up the stairs, grabbing the amber fox's paw in the process as he took the stairs two at a time before reaching his locker and looking at the contents, he could see someone had been rifling through his stuff after school but seemed to not be able to find what they were looking for as they overturned the contents of his locker and scattered his binders across the floor in hopes of finding their prize.

"Who would do such a thing?" asked Kelsey appalled as she looked around to see that claw marks were carved into one of Jake's binders and the answer became clear for her as soon as she saw this clue as Jake fished up the binders and placed them back in his locker with a sigh. "It was Aaron who did this, but why would he do such a thing?"

"Kelsey, remember what happened at Digiverse Tech with Blockbuster?" asked the dusty brown coyote as he buried his hand into his pocket and Kelsey's eyes widened in shock.

"He's not after the drive, is he?" asked the amber fennec fox as the coyote pulled out Blockbuster's memory unit from his pocket.

"I'd imagine he would be, why else would he go to such lengths as to track my movements and try to find out what I'm up to otherwise."

"Makes sense," replied Kelsey nodding. "So why would Blockbuster's memory unit be so important to him?"

"Blockbuster was the only one of Aaron's 'friends', there might be important information he told him or something that he needs from his memories."

"Ah," said Kelsey before her phone started to buzz and she quickly checked it. "It's from Ev, she says that something has come up."

* * *

The bitter winds nipped at Evelyn and Randal as they walked into the parking lot and entered at the far end of the football field looking for any sign of Aaron, but there was none as he scanned the area again and again. Something was unsettling about the field as if a cold presence was looming over it. The rain continued to splatter against the wolverine's and border collie's clothes and Randal decided to take off his jacket and put it over the border collie's shoulders, who accepted it. The storm clouds now looked far more threatening and had turned from a dull gray to a dark, foreboding gray as flashes of light illuminated the sky.

"Look who decided to show," said a familiar voice as they saw the familiar face of the grizzly walking towards them with a smug look of confidence on his face. He was wearing his usual clothes with a leather jacket now and a pair of gloves to boot.

"Let's set some ground rules first," said the wolverine snarling as he walked up to meet him.

"Very well."

"This is between just you and me, any other help is seen as cheating. Secondly, no cheap shots. And thirdly, whoever wins will honor the demands of the other."

"I'm happy you got to that part, I want something you little coyote friend is holding onto, something that I need."

"Do you mean this?" asked Jake as he walked out onto the field with several others following behind him as he tossed the drive against the ground where it embedded itself in the mud while Aaron looked at the drive with a hunger in his eyes. "What do you want it for?"

"Blockbuster was just one of several prototypes, the Vault of Digiverse Tech houses twenty new unique prototypes. Thanks to some leaked info Feral was able to pick up I was able to find out that Blockbuster houses the codes to open it, well at least his memory unit does."

"So, you want a whole army of blindly loyal followers to command?" asked Randal, as the grizzly nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that's the general idea," replied the grizzly sarcastically while the wolverine cracked his knuckles.

"My demand is for you to leave us alone if I win."

The grizzly seemed to ponder this for a few seconds weighing the risk and reward that he could get from such an exchange. Randal's supporters looked at each other nervously, they knew Aaron might not keep his word if things did go south. Gumball and Darwin even took the precaution of taking several steps back from the many people gathered there, just in case things did go badly.

"Deal," snarled the grizzly in satisfaction as he shook the wolverine's paw, though it appeared more like he was trying to crush it in this exchange as the wolverine let out a slight wince though nothing further as he walked back to his spot. He was surprised to see Jake, Kelsey, Grif, Gumball, Penny, Carrie, and Darwin gathered there as he had been at odds with them for the most part for most of his time at Elmore Junior High, though he guessed he had made it rather clear that he had turned over a new leaf in the past several months as he tightened down his knee pads.

"More would have come, well, if it wasn't a match between you and Aaron," said Penny nervously as the wolverine nodded, understanding.

"I'll try to keep the collateral damage at a minimum," grumbled Randal as he got ready to face down the grizzly for one final time.

He turned on his heel and stared towards the grizzly, whom he could tell was filled with anticipation taking on the wolverine as he had already begun to pace like a caged animal. They waited for the other to make the first move as they encircled each other, rain blinding their eyes and soaking their clothes and fur. It was calm before the storm as the wolverine tried to ignore the fog coming out of his nostrils as he focused on the grizzly. The steely gray and beetle black eyes met for a brief moment. And in an instant, they clashed, the grizzly running at him with surprising speed as he rammed into the gray wolverine, who was promptly caught off guard and sent to the ground rolling through several puddles covering his fur and face in mud. He was just starting to wipe the mud off when he found the grizzly right on top of him as he punished him with a barrage of punches. He felt the side of his face go numb before he swung around and took the grizzly off his feet as the latter got up slowly raising himself to his full height.

"You're rusty, what's the matter, Randal? Gone soft?" asked the grizzly with confidence as the former tried to get up from the sticky and heavy mud that was clinging to him.

"Keep talking Aaron," said Randal shutting out the pain as he put up his paws. Aaron's retribution was just as swift as before as he kneed the wolverine in the stomach and aimed low with a powerful and well-placed kick at one on Randal's knee pads, cracking it down the center and causing him to stumble backward in shock.

The wolverine rushed him this time and dodged the kick at his other knee pad this time as he rolled underneath him and grabbed him from behind before picking the grizzly off his feet, causing him to flounder and thrash wildly and howl with rage. He then tossed him down the field, causing to splatter through piles of mud.

"Grr…"

Randal charged the grizzly only to get a face full of mud as the grizzly slung a clump of grass and mud at his face. He recoiled away as the grizzly swung at him, wildly determined. They backed away breathing fast and panting letting the cool rain soak them and enjoying the respite for the opportunity for their burning limbs to rest. They appeared to be evenly matched, at the moment as Randal looked back at Evelyn, he could tell she was frightened and trying to hold herself back from rushing over to him because of Randal's new battered appearance. The grizzly took advantage of this situation however as he launched himself onto him and toppled him before pounding his sides.

"Ha, you're as soft as the weaklings you fight for!"

The wolverine countered, however, headbutting him and causing stars to show up in front of the grizzly's eyes as he fumbled around once the wolverine pushed the dazed and confused.

"On the contrary, my friends are the source of my strength," said the wolverine with a growl as lifted himself off the ground and stepped on the chest of the grizzly. "You're beaten, let it go."

Struggle as he might, the grizzly did not seem to be able to pull the wolverine's foot off of him. He now seemed to way his options carefully as he reached out with his left paw for the drive that was just a few inches from him. However as soon as his paw was within reach the coyote snatched it up and pocketed it, leaving Aaron without his prize. He didn't understand how the pathetic wolverine had changed so much, they had been evenly balanced for the past several years. Yet somehow the wolverine had beaten him, then it occurred to him that Randal had changed greatly over the past several months. His entire fighting style had changed in this match. He wasn't quick to throw himself into the fray anymore, he was more reserved and holding out his energy for the long run. And it had worked out, the grizzly had been focused so much on pummeling the wolverine that he had lost his focus on the big picture. That had cost him the match, the grizzly finally stopped struggling and got up, mud soaked and humiliated. He didn't know whether he should be impressed at the wolverine for strategizing a new way to beat him, or angry at having lost to the sorry sack of gray fur as the latter offer a handshake to him, which the grizzly politely declined with a wave of his hand as he turned away and wandered through the dark back to his house as the others watched.

"That was shorter than expected," said the wolverine with a sigh of relief as he almost collapsed before the combined efforts of Ev, Jake, and the two Watterson brothers were enough to keep him on his feet as he walked over to the bleachers.

"Glad you're alright Randal, though you gave us all a fright."

"I know Ev," said Randal as he shakily sat down and Ev sat down next to him applying a washcloth to his swelling right eye.

* * *

It was one of the last days of school, and Jake was sitting in the classroom biting on his pencil nervously as he thought about how his mother was faring in the hospital, as a certain red and white griffin leaned over to him.

"Did you check your phone recently?" asked Grif raising an eyebrow as the dusty brown coyote turned to him and shook his head.

"Well, you might want to."

So, as covertly as he could, the coyote propped open his book on his lap as he hid his cell phone behind it as the coyote checked his most recent messages. There was a stream of many of them that he received all at once, all from Glenn as the coyote's heart skipped a beat.

 _'The newest member of the Wiley family is set to arrive! On my way to the school to pick you up so we can go the hospital.'_

Jake nearly dropped his phone he was so shocked, as he looked at Grif and then back at Miss Simian who was in the middle of her lecture. The odds were very slim that she would let the coyote out of her classroom, the fact that Gumball in rather dazed and hungry stupor had eaten the muffin on her desk had put her in a bad mood. He knew that he had only one other option if he wanted to get out of the classroom.

"Grif, can you give me a distraction?"

"What ever happened to following the rules?"

"We both know as long as you're around that isn't going to happen," said the coyote with a grin at this old friend who seemed to be overjoyed at the fact that the coyote was giving him permission to break a dozen or so school rules.

"I figure that I can give you ten minutes tops," said the griffin pulling out a paperclip out of his pocket and reshaping it. "Speaking of which, do any of you need anything changed from your permanent records? My treat."

"I think we're happy where we're at with our grades and such," said Gumball grimacing. "How do you intend to get past Miss Simian? And have you been hanging out with Sev?"

The griffin gave a bemused looked as he silently got out of his seat indicated to the whole class to remain quiet as he sat down near the windows and started to lean back.

"Wait, he's not going to…"

And with a quick whoosh of air, the griffin dived out of the window like an owl and disappeared as he soared towards the principal's office. It was only a manner of waiting for the coyote who waited nervously tapping his fingers together until he heard the voice of the griffin over the intercom doing a passable impression of Principal Brown.

"Students and faculty, in light of recent and unforeseen events, I have decided to make today a half day. Enjoy the rest of your day outside."

The students didn't even bother to question it as they rushed for the door in a mad dash leaving the baboon in her classroom with a confused look on her face. It was precisely the distraction the dusty brown coyote need as he hopped into his father's car as Glenn gave him a perplexed look upon seeing the students rush out of it as if questioning how such a thing happened.

"Long story, come on let's see mom!"

The older coyote didn't have to hear this twice as he floored it as their sedan rushed towards the hospital at a breakneck speed as Jake was thrust back into his seat while his father did his best to avoid traffic, even going so far as to run a red light or two. It wasn't until Jake heard the whine of a siren did the coyote look around to see the whole of Elmore's police force chasing them.

"Um, dad?"

Glenn ignored it as he continued to bear down harder and harder on the accelerator. It wasn't until the hit road spikes and their tires were knocked out did Glenn's determined expression change to fear as the swung hard hitting the curb and scuffing their rims until they came to an uneasy stop as Glenn brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"Well, another happy landing."

It took a while for Glenn and the donut sheriff to sort out the details about what had happened. Fortunately, the police officer seemed to understand where the older coyote was coming from and decided to only give him a small fee. However, the older coyote decided to stay behind and work on the paperwork, waving for his son to go on without him.

* * *

Jake sprinted into the hospital, skidding around the corners on one foot as he ran towards the wing where his mother was, the news he had just receive from his father only seemed to bolster his speed and determination to reach the room quickly. Dodging past doctors and nurses, the coyote eventually reached the right room, barging straight through the open door to see his mother's eyes closed and her head leaning limply against the pillow.

"Mom!" exclaimed the coyote rushing over to his mother's bed only to have one of the doctors block his path. "She's not-"

"She's quite alright, she's just sleeping, she had to go through a great deal these past several days. However, you must keep your voice down, she needs her rest," insisted the band-aid doctor as Jake let out a long sigh of relief.

"And the baby?"

"She's in the nursery, back down the hall on your left."

The coyote whisked out of the room in less than a heartbeat, resuming his frantic run as he skidded into to the outside of the nursery and pressed his nose flat against the glass searching for any sign to give away what the baby looked like as he scanned the room. It was dimly lit and hard to see into, as many of the babies there were sleeping peacefully. He found her in one of the incubators closest to the glass, the light gray fur was a dead giveaway as it was the same exact color and texture as his mother's fur. However, the nose and mess hairstyle were clearly traits inherited from her father. The coyote looked down on his little sister and he swore that he saw her at least peek out at him for a brief second, and it appeared that she had inherited Brooke's eyes as well. The coyote couldn't help but smile as he looked down upon his baby sister.

"Welcome to the world McKenzie."

* * *

 **Thanks for all the support on this story, it feels strange to almost be done with it. Anyways, as always, feel free to leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Celebration_**

 _ **How has Jake adjusted to his new life as an older brother and what is this celebration all about?**_

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Grif is quite the friend, sending in support through Rhonda knowing that Jake probably isn't in the mood to see him. It's cool that Randal managed to beat his old rival, not that it was an easy fight. Both parties took quite a few hits. Though unlike Aaron he had true friends on his side. Glenn is also one heck of a driver I must say. Let's also not forget the wonderful moment of Jake finally meeting his little sister and with his mom being okay things look bright for the Wiley family.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-This chapter took a little while to get done, but I was rather pleased how it came out. Anyways, thanks to all of you who stuck with it, and it's all downhill from here.**

 **-Also, I will be uploading the last two chapters (which are epilogue chapters) at the same time just to give you a heads up about it. Thanks for all the good memories of writing this story and I will see you in the epilogue!**


	49. Chapter 49: The Celebration

**The Outsider:**

Chapter 49: The Celebration

It was a surprisingly quiet evening in Elmore, and that itself was a strange occurrence. A certain dusty brown coyote walked underneath the dull neon lights of the street as he tried to look at the stars and see the constellations twinkling at him softly against the dark blanket in the night sky. Only the occasional flash of a cars headlights or the street lamps ruined his night vision as he accidentally stumbled and walked into a tree before brushing himself off and continuing on his merry way, having the wicked wind whisper in his ears and nip at his face. The hot August air was slowly starting to be replaced with the chilly and crisp touch of September. He would not be surprised if the leaves started to change color, and he was eagerly awaiting the return of apple cider, a drink that Grif had gotten him easily addicted to during the long amount of time they had spent in Winslow.

The griffin had humorously stated as soon as autumn started they would have to have an apple cider chugging contest, to which the coyote had happily complied to, much to the shock of his feathered friend. He also suspected with the start of a new school year he would be dragged into another crazy series of adventures and misadventures in Elmore with Gumball and Darwin. The blue cat and goldfish had already insisted on frequent visits to the Wiley residence to see his little sister. Though McKenzie seemed to enjoy the company, Jake was worried that she would start picking up mischievous habits from the blue cat in particular. Though as Grif had put it she was _'only a harmless ball of fluff at this point'_. The coyote was surprised to see how busy his parents were with another member of the Wiley family. However, even the coyote did not suspect how close they had become because of this, as both his parents made sure not to make him feel excluded. They did expect him to be more active in helping out, which meant fewer hours on the computer talking to Grif, playing video games, or searching up tutorials on how to build something new. He didn't mind however as most of his free time he was able to hang out with Kelsey and the many other friends he had made in Elmore. Who knew that moving to a new town had such a major impact on his life?

Things were also changing in Elmore, after the destruction of the Digiverse Tech build, infighting occurred about what path they should take with it. The company ended up fragmenting into many pieces and Glenn was convinced to coming back to the company to become the new engineering manager of the facility. The job was a lot more stressful for Glenn, but he proved the right fit for it. He even ended up collaborating a lot with Gordon, which he seemed to greatly enjoy. There was also the fact that all the Blockbuster prototypes had been removed or taken from the facility at some point. The police had investigated into what had happened yet no solid evidence could be conjured up. Jake suspected Aaron was involved somehow, but the fact the drive was still in his possession suggested that it was most likely some third party involved. Principal Brown was even given the promotion to Superintendent of Elmore's school system, something that came to a shock to all of them. Needless to say, things in their small city were changing, but after all, that was part of life.

The coyote brushed his feet off on the welcome mat as he opened the door to the interior of his house. His parents hopefully wouldn't mind his late return. He always had a lot on his mind nowadays, so he often took walks in order to clear his mind and give him a breather from all the hustle and bustle of his day to day. What Jake did not expect however is when he stepped over the threshold is that it was pitch dark inside the house. He did his best to try to look through the blanket of darkness inside the house. From the faint glare of the streetlights outside, the coyote though he could make out eyes. A great many eyes all gathered together in the darkness.

"Surprise!" exclaimed the voice of Brooke in excitement as she flicked on the lights, lighting up the room and revealing dozens of people all gathered around the dining room table and counter. The coyote's jaw dropped as he saw his mother and father, grandparents, a few of his aunts, uncles, and cousins, Kelsey and the rest of the Springers, Brian, Gordon, Rhonda, Grif, Penny, Gumball, Darwin, Carrie, Rachel, Alex, Evelyn, Randal, Cato, and Adele. There was even Sev, who was busy sneaking several root beers out of the fridge into the inner lining of his jacket until his cousin caught him red handed in the act. And lastly, the bouncing baby McKenzie wrapped tightly in her mother's arms. She was reaching out for the coyote and pinched his nose upon getting close enough. The coyote let out a playful growl at this, bopping her in the nose gently with her own paw causing her to shriek with joy at this before she grabbed hold of the coyote's hair, causing it to sag down with her added weight and he winced as several hairs were ripped from his head.

"I'm flattered that all of you showed up, but what is this all about?" asked Jake perplexed as he looked from person to person at their shining faces.

"It's your birthday party, doofus," shouted Grif from the midst of the crowd.

It hadn't really occurred to him that he was now thirteen years old, he had just celebrated his birthday several days ago on the twenty-sixth. He was another year older, though he hardly felt as if he was an older than twelve and he was still getting used to the whole idea of being an older brother.

As if his baby sister knew that he was thinking about her, she responded by blowing a rather loud and rather obnoxious raspberry at him. And at this, her old brother wrapped her tightly in her blanket before handing her back to her mother with a smile.

"She's been hanging out with Grif now hasn't she?" The little pup nodded at this vehemently and he raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, once or twice," said the griffin shrugging as the coyote walked over to him and gave him a strong clap on the shoulder causing him to shudder.

"Hey, you're going to break something! My bones are hollow after all," said the griffin slightly annoyed.

"Well, you certainly don't do a great job landing and you don't worry about your bones then," countered the amber fennec fox, putting her arm around the griffin's shoulder, to which he shrugged.

"Different circumstances, it may not be September yet, but I think we should hold a little practice challenge. Think you can handle this?" asked the griffin, pulling two root beer bottles out of Sev's pocket as he passed by, and handing one to the coyote.

"So how do we determine a winner? First one to stop drinking loses?" asked the coyote, while the griffin popped the cap off his bottle with his face plate before starting to guzzle the beverage leaving it completely drained before he placed it down on the counter.

"That's the general idea. Now hurry up, I'm one up on you!"

So, the coyote popped of his lid and began to chug down the bubbling and sweet beverage as fast as possible to make up for lost time. His stomach felt a bit queasy at the sudden influx of sugar into his system until he finished draining the glass as he placed it on the counter, licking the creamy taste off of his lips, looking rather pleased with himself. The griffin, on the other hand, had already formed as a small pyramid of the bottles which the coyote glanced at before picking up another bottle and cracking it open.

"Game on!"

Eventually, both the griffin and the coyote had sizeable stacks of about five to ten bottles apiece, with the griffin leading slightly ahead. Most of their friends had taken to watching the contest as Jake picked up his seventh bottle, intending to drain it as the crowd egged him on.

"Chug, chug!"

Only when the coyote couldn't take it any anymore did he stop trying to drain the bottle as he slopped some of the seventh bottle's root beer all over the front of his clothes in the process as he coughed and spluttered and conceded defeat to the griffin who was just starting to crack open another small bottle for his ninth drink.

"No, no. I think that's quite enough."

"Ah, what a shame, I thought you were at least going to keep up," said the griffin giving him a wink.

"If you'll excuse me then, I'll take my leave then," said the coyote wiping some of the foamy liquid off his clothes as he exited out the back door and sat down on the porch looking out towards the misty backyard.

The sound of light footsteps told the coyote that he was not alone as an amber fox sat down next to him. He frantically tried to hide the stains of root beer on his clothes as he zipped up his hoodie and she leaned in towards him.

"It's been a long, strange trip, hasn't it?"

"That it has."

"You know looking back, life is good. Maybe we're dragged into crazy misadventures on a daily basis, but honestly, I wouldn't change a thing," said Kelsey looking at the misty haze and gripping the coyote's paw tightly. "Things will be different though for you, being an older brother now."

"It means I'll actually have to be respectable now," said Jake humorously as his girlfriend gave him a mock sharp look. "Well, at least pretend to be respectable. What about you, Kelsey what have you got planned?"

"Well, nothing much besides the usual. I was wondering if you would like to go on hiking trip sometime in the near future."

"That sounds fun, I'll be sure to pack some delicious trail food for the occasion."

"I'm going to have to whip your butt into shape, you know that, right?"

"Har har," replied the coyote, pushing the fennec fox away slightly as she laughed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So, where do we go from here Jake?"

"I honestly don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet," answered the coyote truthfully, as the two snuggled next to each other.

"Of course, you haven't," said Kelsey scoffing in amusement. "Then again, neither have I."

"Then we'll just see where our crazy life in this town takes us," said the coyote simply as the leaned in closer. Away from all the hustle and bustle of the party, they could enjoy each other's company without any interruptions. Some peace and quiet was what they both needed, as they did often get to enjoy the small moments in a place as crazy and as zany as Elmore. The light of the stars reflected off their eyes and there was a warm glow in their hearts. However, the soft light was suddenly broken by the back door opening up to reveal the rather lanky frame of Grif stepping outside and casting a shadow on them.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" asked the griffin slyly as both the coyote and fox blushed with embarrassment and turned away from each other. "Don't mind me, please, continue!"

The rather smug comment made the fennec fox shake her head in disapproval. The griffin hopped down onto the step above them, each offering one of the root beer bottles in his hands to them. The coyote politely declined given the fact he had probably had too many of those to drink at the party already. Kelsey however accepted and they stared up at the stars in the sky.

"Nothing beats life in Elmore."

"You said it."

* * *

 **Stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next chapter- The Epilogue_**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-See you in the epilogue! ;D**


	50. Chapter 50: The Epilogue

**The Outsider:**

The Epilogue

16 Years later…

In some ways life had changed and become far more of a mess for the coyote, the stress of his new job as an electrical engineer was a constant as he sat at his laptop reviewing the latest circuit board drawing his coworker had sent him, the design was a mess and he was doing his best to streamline the design as best as he could. However, he couldn't complain, the job paid well and he now had moved into his own apartment with a little help from his parents, who had, of course, insisted on it. The patter of raindrops on his apartment window was the only sound he heard before a light tap on the door occurred. The dusty brown coyote hopped up from his seat and strode over to the door opening it to see the familiar face of Kelsey, who was slightly soaked and wearing a tan raincoat which she quickly took off and hung by the door.

"Hey Kelse, what brings you here?" asked Jake smiling warmly as the fennec fox gave her boyfriend a hug and kissing him on the cheek.

"I've got big news," replied Kelsey pulling away from him as she took ahold of his paws in hers. "I got a promotion!"

"Wow, that is big news, congratulations!"

"Thanks, I was planning to celebrate with Ev at a small diner, though she and Randal don't get off work for a while, that and they have to take care of Jett."

"Is the little rascal misbehaving again?"

"He's only four months old, and he's already in all kinds of trouble," said Kelsey laughing and shaking her head. It was hard to believe the innocent four-month-old son of Evelyn and Randal had already been such a handful for his parents as he was a boundless ball of energy.

"Must have to do with Gumball looking after him," replied the coyote smoothing out his hair.

"Why don't we bring him out with us? I'm sure he would enjoy the company."

"Gumball and Penny already dine out with us every week already; don't you think that's enough? And if he keeps showing up I'm going to start charging him for rent," responded Jake rolling his eyes as Kelsey chuckled.

"Shall we go then?"

"Just one second, I just need to grab some things first," said the coyote his head on a swivel as he entered his bedroom in a frantic search for what he had been planning to ask her for quite some time. He grabbed his jacket off his chair before finding a small velvet box of his dresser and pocketing it. _'Is this the right moment?'_

"You coming, Jake?"

"Just a sec!" shouted the coyote with a smile as he found his jacket and tugged it off one of his coat hangers in a rush to get out the door.

The amber fox and dusty brown coyote settle for a quiet diner on the far side of town. It provided some much-needed shelter from the patter of raindrops as they slid into one of the vacant booths. The whole place smelled strongly of coffee and fried food, which was a tantalizing smell. They both glanced down at their menus, pondering what to order. Both their meals were delicious for the most part, the only qualm that the both of them seemed to come up with was the fact that the food had a rubbery texture to it, making hard to stomach. It took a while to pay the bill as both of them argued about how they should split the cost, but it worked out when Jake decided to split the cost evenly between them with the coyote paying the tip as well.

"Would you like it if we went on a walk around the lake?" asked the coyote abruptly catching his partner slightly off guard as she almost coughed up the soup she was finishing off.

"Why?"

"I was hoping to hear more about your job, and I have something to ask you," said Jake keeping his tone casual, though the fennec fox thought excitedly about what this might mean.

"I'd be happy to, I have loads to tell you."

Their conversation around the lake mostly revolved around Kelsey's recent promotion to head coach of the girl's ice hockey team, a job she was proud to hold. She discussed what new plans she had for the team and where she'd take it. It was interesting to catch up after the constant hassle of Elmore and the misadventures they had and were still having as adults. It wasn't until Jake stopped at the exact spot where they had sat before the Semi-Formal did Kelsey realize something was up and the coyote was most likely planning something.

"Do you remember this place?"

"It's the place we stopped before the Semi-Formal. We even had that little race."

"Where you got a head start on beating me to the lake."

"Good times. We were only twelve when we went to that dance. Hard to believe that was almost sixteen years ago," said Kelsey, glancing at the glassy surface of the lake before she turned back to the coyote, who was already down on one knee.

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

 _'Oh my goodness, he's going to do it!'_

"Will you marry me?"

The coyote opened the velvet box, revealing a wondrous blue diamond and gold ring. Before the fennec fox could stop herself, she was crying tears of joy as she stared down at him.

"Yes, Jake, yes!"

It was the most wonderful and happiest moment of their lives. The long winding road of misadventures in Elmore had led to this moment. The coyote slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and got up holding her close in his arms as they treasured the tremendous and life changing moment.

"So, I suppose we should start planning for the wedding once we get the chance," said the coyote as the fox tried her best to wipe the tears from her eyes as she smiled at him.

"Definitely, though I think we tell our parents all about the good news."

"Agreed, we should get a wedding list together too. But for now, let's enjoy our time together," said Jake the lines on his face relaxing as they looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Kelsey, till death do us part."

"Don't rain on the parade, wait until the wedding day," said the fennec fox breaking up the moment with a bit of humor causing him to chuckle.

"Don't keep me waiting at the altar."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The news of the coyote's and fox's wedding came as a shock to both sets of parents as the Springer and Wiley family were quickly in a tailspin to get things done and prepared for the big day. When Jake had announced the big news to his family Brooke had dropped one of the priceless family plates, that was an heirloom from her mother, letting it shatter. And his father was there to congratulate them with heartfelt joy. The coyote had even taken the liberty to check in with his little sister, who was still in her room, listening to loud music and busy typing a report for her English class. She didn't answer Jake and had to repeat the news to herself before she realized the gravity of it, and when it sunk in she leaped from her chair and gave her older brother a hug.

"Congratulations Jake!"

"Thanks, McKenzie," replied the coyote patting her gently on the back as he looked down at his little sister. At sixteen years old, her high school courses were making it hard for her find to sleep at night. That and she had started to have a reliance on caffeine to get up in the morning. He remembered those times back in his high school years, and it was unfortunate that he didn't have enough time to hang out with his little sister nowadays. The little wolf, however, seemed to inherit the indomitable spirit of her mother, however, as she was just as tough and just as sharp. Jake smiled down at her as he let go of her.

"I best be off then," said the coyote giving a sad smile as McKenzie block the door hoping to stop her older brother from leaving.

"Wait, Jake! Could you help me out with my homework?" asked the small gray wolf coming up with an excuse for her older brother to stay. The coyote smiled realizing that McKenzie missed him as he stopped at the doorway.

"Sure thing."

The dusty brown coyote turned around and kneeled next to her desk as she sat down and he did his best to guide her through her work.

It had been several months since the coyote had seen the charcoal gray wolverine as he looked down at the card that he and Kelsey had designed. The griffin had made some rather funny suggestions for their little pamphlet, and that their wedding should have a hockey theme. Both of them had found it funny at first, and because of this, Kelsey had actually decided to turn their wedding into a hockey themed event. Ordering the cake had been a nightmare as Kelsey had finally convinced the coyote into putting hockey figures on top instead of the traditional bride and groom on the top. Instead of a dance, the fennec fox had they should go ice skating another plan that the coyote finally bent to. Jake walked into the Elmore Auto Repair shop to see a pair of legs sticking out from under a rather old and rusted sedan. Drops of oil were leaking out of the car as the wolverine tampered with the oil filter as he grunted as he tightened it in.

"What is it Mr. Needlemeyer?"

"I'm not your boss Randal, but I would like to speak with you."

He grunted as he continued with difficulty as he tuned up the car. "I'm a little stretched at the moment, can we talk later?"

"I thought you'd like to take the time to talk to and old friend.

The sound of the wolverine's ratchet fell silent as he stopped working and rolled out from underneath the car to get a good look at the coyote. The wolverine was covered in grime and oil, it was fortunate that he was wearing a black shirt, as the grime wasn't as visible.

"Jake? Jake Wiley?"

"Hey Randal, it's been too long hope the past couple of months had treated you well."

The wolverine scrambled to his feet as he hastily cleaned his hands of oil with a nearby rag. "Yeah, yeah they have, Jake. It's good to see you."

"Same here."

"What brings you to this part of town?"

"Good news, and just a small little invitation to a ceremony that is going to happen soon…"

The coyote handed the card to the wolverine, who was immediately startled by the writing on it as he rubbed his eyes and looked up at him.

"Is this for real? You and Kelsey are engaged?"

"Yup."

"That is very good news! If things clear up at the shop I'll be certain to go to it."

"Thanks, Randal."

"Thanks for the invitation. I wasn't expecting something like this."

"Yeah, though there is one other thing."

"What's that?"

"Black tie event."

"Don't worry I'll be sure to wear a suit."

"Kelsey and I were also talking about if we have a child, we want you to be the godfather."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Well, that's quite the honor Jake, I'll be sure to see you around soon. Anyways I'm sure you have plenty to plan for your big day, have fun."

The day finally arrived and it was a warm balmy day in spring with the birds nesting in the thicket and the sun beating down on them. Jake had nervously been waiting at the altar thinking about everything they had planned. It was a wonderful day as expected, but the coyote was still partially nervous that one of the town's daily calamities would happen and that would ruin the ceremony. Grif had been selected to be the best man, while it was no coincidence that Evelyn had been select for the role of matron of honor. As a last-minute gag from the griffin, Kelsey had started to walk down the aisle wearing a hockey helmet instead of a veil, something that made the coyote chuckle but he had to shake his head at the griffin's nature to try and get a laugh out of everyone. The coyote smoothed out his suit nervously as he waited for his family and soon to be in-laws to arrive.

"Just relax dude, it's just nerves."

"I just don't want to mess things up," admitted the coyote taking the last few minutes to smooth out his hair again and again in nervous anticipation.

"Here comes the bride," whisper the griffin politely as they turned up the aisle to see Philip leading his daughter up the altar in her wedding gown. The coyote was stunned as nothing else in the world matter to him more than her.

"Wow, she's beautiful."

"That she is, you're one lucky coyote," said the griffin winking and patting him on the back.

Kelsey stepped up the altar a bit nervously but she was still immensely happy.

"Got the jitters?"

"Yep."

"Same here both of them tried to tune out in fear as they stood before the Minister in front of them.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here for holy matrimony of Jake Wiley and Kelsey Springer."

Both of them shifted from foot to foot nervously as the ceremony progressed, and they exchanged their rings as Jake had a silver ring placed on his left paw and Kelsey receiver her wedding bond of an almost identical slimmer silver ring. It seemed like the ceremony would last forever until the most important part came up.

"Jacob, do you take Kelsey as your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," said the coyote without a moment's hesitation as the Minister turned to the amber fennec fox next.

"And do you Kelsey, take Jake as your lawfully wedded husband?"

She looked into his eyes lovingly for a moment before answering.

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you two as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

No sooner had he said this the fennec fox and the coyote exchanged the most passionate and wonderful kiss of their lives. The fennec fox's sheer joy and anticipation for this day to finally arrive would make it hard for the whole week to dash her spirits as they held each other close in each other's arms. If she had to make a rather humorous but accurate comparison of what Jake would be like, it would be her knight in shining armor, ready to sweep her off her feet. As for the coyote, he had his wonderful friends of Elmore and the girl whom he was ecstatic to now call his wife. No matter how many cloud or morose days they had, they had love to keep them alive. Amidst the crowds thundering applause, they were able to wave to their many friends and family gather around them Grif laughed with amusement.

"Here come the newlyweds, you two are famous celebrities now!"

"Thanks, Grif."

The massive crowd of the Wileys, Springers, Wattersons, O'Quinns, Fitzgeralds, Paxtons Lucks, Rowes, Andersons and many other families made it difficult to get to the car as Jake and Kelsey stepped inside, ready to go on their honeymoon and avoid the crazy misadventures of Elmore for a short while.

 **Fin**

 **... and flux rox!**

* * *

 **The end! It felt like a took an enterity to write this story, a whole two years of my life dedicated to it, and I don't regret, well, I mostly don't regret it. XD**

 **We made it, despite all odds and only one summer to finish it. Anyways, as always, feel free to leave a review or follow and favorite this story if you think it deserves it. In the meantime stay cool, and hang loose! Nomad going silent.**

 ** _Next story?_**

 ** _The possibility of me finding the opportunity to write a new story continuing with The Outsiders characters would be difficult as I now have college to look forward to and would thus only have the summer to do that. So, I wanted to end the story on a fairly conclusive note. I may stick around and do smaller stories, but nothing as large as this again. I will leave a poll on my profile about what the fate of the series will be if you wish to vote for it._**

 **Steelwall's Notes:**

 **-Note: Since these last two chapters are being uploaded together I decided to give one note at the end of the second one. Let me start of by saying man has it been a journey for our protagonist. He has been through a LOT. The first chapter out of the two was nice and light hearted. Nothing big happened, but it didn't need to. A good time with some close friends was a nice ending. I'm also sure we all expected Jake and Kelsey to hook-up and I enjoyed reading it slowly to really take it all in. This is the last chapter after all, no point in rushing it.**

 **I also just wanna say thanks to, Nomad. Thanks for bringing me on board with this story. I enjoyed being your beta, might not be the best but I do try. It was great getting to read the chapters early and having my notes added to the AN at the end of the chapters. Have a wonderful day/night everyone!**

 **Timey/Kitt's Notes:**

 **i've been with the outsider since the beginning and it's cool to see it reach its end lol,** **full cycle.**

 **Nomad's Notes:**

 **-I want to personally want to thank Steelwall for helping me see this project through to the end. I also wanted to give Timey (who now goes by the name KitterBee) the chance to contribute to the notes one last time as a sign of good faith and as a tip of the hat to her. I also want to take a moment to thank all the fans of the story and all the support on it, it's been a great ride. ;D**


End file.
